Blood and Petals
by Thebestmindone
Summary: After the war Naruto feels bound to travel with Sasuke, helping him heal, helping him come back to the village. Five years pass before the two set foot in The Village hidden in the leaves again, and what they find isn't exactly what they expected. Kakashi back in full ANBU, and a name carved into the memorial, a name they never dreamed would be there. (NaruSaku) (rewriting bits)
1. Chapter 1

(Narusaku) After the war Naruto feels bound to travel with Sasuke, helping him heal, helping him come back to the village. Five years pass before the two set foot in The Village hidden in the leaves again, and what they find isn't exactly what they expected. Kakashi back in full ANBU, and a name carved into the memorial, a name they never dreamed would be there. Ages in the fic. Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke are all 21. Kakashi is 36. And Tsunade? Just old. Old old old. **A/n update as of 9-7-16: alright let me clear this up. I personally find the god level status of of Naruto and Sasuke frankly ridiculous. So yes. In this story I've knocked them down to believe able levels. So by tsuandes giant left flopping titty, stop here if you can't handle the boys at a reasonable strength and a strong sakura. I appreciate all feedback but the negativity and unwillingness to accept the changes I've made to cannon are aggravating. One last time. Sakura= strong. Naruto and Sasuke= still strong but not gods. Bless. **

**Update as of 02/04/2017: I'm doing a massive rewrite on this and so if anyone actually still follows this mess I'm so sorry for the random alerts. (There will be a shiny new chapter for the bother though.)**

(Chapter one)

"It's changed." The words fell slowly, haltingly, past lips that never spoke without reason, past the lips of an avenger, even before the final syllable was swept away by the wind the dark haired Uchiha was turning to his best friend. Naruto simply tilted his head and squinted down at the village below. Five years. It had been five years since they had submitted their requests to travel as the Sannin had done. Five years since Sasuke's name had been cleared and they had put the village to their backs. Five years since Sakura had bid them goodbye with a smile and tears in her eyes. Tears that had never fallen.

"The people too, I wonder what's happened." Finally Naruto turned back to his dark eyed best friend and smiled with an enthusiasm that only Naruto could muster. "We better report in, if Baa-chan finds out we were wandering the village we'll be picking pieces of her sandal out of our asses for weeks."

"Hn." Was the only answer Sasuke gave, but they disappeared in twin clouds of smoke.

"Tsunade-sama! Tsunade-sama, there are people here to see you!" Tsunade picked her head slowly off of her desk, a report sticking to her cheek and a hangover sticking to her head. Blearily regarding her assistant she waved her hand impatiently.

"Shizune how many times do I need to say it, no shouting before ten, and no shrieking until at least noon. Who ever it is can wait, I've got paperwork piled up to my nose," Tsunade finally noticed the report on her face and peeled it away with a grimace. _Fantastic, the villages income report from last month stuck to my face, why oh why did I agree to this job. _

"Tsunade-sama, I think you really need to see these two," Shizune knew she was pressing her luck, but as usual she had to keep pressing it. At a glare from the Hokage, and a slight nod, the assistant spun and opened the door with a significantly strained smile. "Please, come in, so sorry for the wait."

Staring off into space, the fifth let her sake soaked mind roll over potential punishments for whoever felt the need to interrupt her hangover. Ibiki probably wasn't busy and he had a flair for the sick and unusual punishments. After all, anyone in the village knew better than to bother the Hokage today, of all days. She had been at her desk only half an hour earlier, her morning spent in front of the memorial staring at a name. Staring one name she had never expected to see in her lifetime. A name that had been engraved on this same day years ago.

"Baa-chan! Did you miss me?!" At the sound of a familiar, deeper, but painfully familiar voice her eyes snapped back into focus. _I don't fucking believe it. _Her hands tensed on the desk, taking in the sight before her. Naruto and Sasuke, back in the village, in her office, like nothing had changed. They were both taller, muscles defined and sharp, stances relaxed. Naruto was still wearing that God awful shade of orange his life seemed to revolve around, but his hair had grown longer, looking more and more like his father's, but his blue eyes still held the boyish enthusiasm and hope. The Uchiha had completely changed his look from the war, the open white shirt gone in favor of a black long sleeve under a blue shirt, and traditional black shinobi pants over his long legs. The sight of them, standing there, whole and complete, no worse for the wear sent the fifth's already shaken control completely off the handle. She upended her desk, reports flying around her in a maelstrom of paper, and proceeded to fling it at the two of them before leaping out of the window, through the glass and all.

Shizune sighed, and leaned against the wall. The two halves of the desk crashed to the floor, split by Sasukes ever present katana. While the last Uchiha had been fast enough to intercept the desk, Naruto simply stood there, stunned. In the awkward beats that followed, his blue gaze turned to rest on the one person in the room that could possibly hold an answer for that- whatever in the hell that had been- only to find Shizune standing at the broken window.

"Naruto, Sasuke, as good as it is to have you back, your timing is utterly terrible. I'll go speak to her, come back tonight, and you'll an explanation for this." Without another word, the Hokage's closest friend and assistant lept through the broken window after her mentor.

"Teme, I have a bad feeling," Naruto's previously jubilant manner had disappeared, and a world-weary frown was tracing across his face. Sasuke only nodded, briefly placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Probably indigestion dobe, come on, let's go see the village." The two friends turned, and Sasuke's teasing words aside, doubt and worry nagged at both of their minds.

Atop the Hokage monument, the fifth hokage was laying in abject misery on her own head. She knew that the two boys-men-children, would need to be confronted, but the sheer audacity of their return on this day… It was too much. Her mind buzzed as she drained her second bottle of sake, and part of her inebriated brain focused on the issue of what Naruto and Sasuke truly were. They were old enough to be men, but their decisions and actions had been those of children. A small amused smirk hit the older womans lips as she turned her face towards the village, and thought of the one person who would know exactly what to call them. Her pink haired apprentice, daughter in all ways but on paper. Tsunade sighed as she watched the two remaining members of Team 7 leave her office and head into the village.

"Tsunade-sama, I've cleared your schedule for the rest of the day, except for one small thing," Shizune sat down next to her mentors sprawled form. Tsunade's warm honey eyes flicked to Shizune's face in surprise. Her assistant never let Tsunade shrink her duties like this. Shizune's expression was full of compassion and understanding, and she held up a bottle of sake with a smile. "Your one duty for the day is to get utterly trashed with me."

Tsunade smiled back at her, "I accept that."

"Shika, I really don't know what you're doing, he's only two, I think it's a bit earlier for Shogi," Ino Yamanaka stood behind her husband, smiling down as he patiently reset the pieces their two year old son, Asuma, had once again knocked flying. It had taken the two less than a year after Naruto and Sasuke had left to find each other. Ino had given up on chasing the avenger, and Shikamaru had accepted that Ino was the type of troublesome he could live with. Ino had been lost in her budding romance, and hadn't noticed her best friend and rival, Sakura, steadily becoming more and more absent from the village. A fact the blond now deeply regretted.

"I just want to make sure he inherited my brains and not yours," the lazy genius turned and smiled at his wife, making sure she didn't take his words seriously, one because he didn't mean them, and two because his wife had a wicked left hook. Ino opened her mouth to reply when a slight sound behind her made her turn. The vase in her hands dropped to the floor in a shattering of clay. Asuma grumbled at the crash, but used to his rather loud mother he didn't even look up. His father on the other hand was up on his feet in a show of speed that undermined the claims of "lazy". His shadow was halfway across the floor before the two men in front of him registered. Dropping his jutsu he just sighed.

"Teme, I'm starting to think that people aren't too happy to see us, they keep breaking things."

"Hn. Maybe it's just you dobe."

Shikamaru's quick eyes took them in, from the mile wide smile on Naruto's face, to the slight smirk on Sasuke's. _They don't know. Troublesome. _Even as the thought passed through his mind, he was keeping an eye on Ino. She was trembling. Shaking with rage.

"You. Two. Assholes. Get out of my sight before I send you straight to hell where you belong," The woman already had a kunai in each hand and was advancing forward with pure murder in her eyes. Ino's tirade was cut off by Shika smoothly grabbing her around the waist and whispering in her ear.

"I'll handle it, take Asuma by my mother's, she misses him." Once he was sure that his wife was going to do as he asked for once, instead of raining blows on the collective heads of Naruto and Sasuke, he dropped his hands, shoving them in his pockets. Ino bent down and lifted Asuma into her arms, asking him if he was ready to go see baa-chan. She left the shop in a whirl of blonde hair and blue eyed glares, but she didn't say anything else to the two friends.

"Shikamaru, what the hell is going on, Baa-chan threw her desk at us, and Ino just tried to pummel us and told us to go to hell, what happened?" As always Naruto's words came out at a rapid pace. Sasuke's black gaze was pinning Shikamaru to the wall behind him. "And where is Sakura-chan, she wasn't at the hospital when we looked. And the nurse said she didn't even work there anymore. Hell the first one didn't even know who Sakura Haruno was."

_If he could throw kunai like he throws words, the world would never survive. But, they are suspicious, they know something's up, but they haven't figured it out. _The Nara genius simply shrugged. "I'll show you." With both his hands in his pockets he ambled out of the shop, not checking if they were following or not.

Sasuke tsk-ed, slightly annoyed at the reception he and Naruto had been receiving. Of course he felt that he deserved it, but Naruto? No, not him. Sasuke knew that his return would be less than welcome, after defecting, showing up at the end of the war, and taking Naruto out of the village, he wasn't popular right now. Even with the full pardon that had been granted him for his assistance in the war, the people of Konoha were sure to be anything but warm. But Naruto had become the villages hero, something terrible must have happened to cause this kind of hostility. The two of them had been the subject of many stares, most of them full of pity, many angry, and a scant few seemed happy. Following Shikamaru, he once again gently grabbed Naruto by the shoulder and pulled him along.

Wind lashed through the trees, sending leaves flying through the air and giving new meaning to the name, Konohagakure. Near training ground three, there stands a stone. On this stone, engraved with painstaking care, are the names of each shinobi that has died for their village.

Sasuke and Naruto followed their former classmate, each step closer bringing further confusion and fear into their minds. With the stone in sight, they knew a name would be there, a name that belonged to someone they knew. At the base of the memorial Shikamaru turned to the two, and dropped his lazy air. His eyes sharpened, his features becoming drawn and taunt, and adopting a manner that he only held on a battle ground. Both of the men in front of him reacted to it, spines straightening automatically.

"This is all I can do, we are all expressly forbidden from telling you two anything about the past five years, by the Hokage herself. However, she never said we couldn't show you a clue," here the Nara's eyes pinned each man's stare, holding it until he was sure the message had been received, "I'm sorry for this. But I am glad you are back. So is everyone else, you just need to give them time. This is a bad day." With that, his hands formed a quick seal and he was gone in a plume of smoke.

For a few minutes, all the two friends could do was stand, far enough back that the names on the stone were just harsh lines. The pit of dread that had opened in the their stomachs in the Hokage's office, widened by the encounter at the flower shop, had become a great canyon. The bottom of which was too black to tell if it ever ended. They didn't know who, but all they knew was that someone close to them, someone very dear to their hearts had given Konoha their all. Someone they were supposed to protect, one of their comrades had died, and they both felt that it was in someway their fault. If they hadn't left, if they hadn't been so damn selfish, and taken a five year hiatus, if they had just stayed, then maybe that name would still be a person, not a memory. They both immediately suspected Kakashi, before remembering catching a glimpse of him reading on a rooftop on their way to see Tsunade. Both of their minds churning, they glanced at each other.

The wind whipped higher, the leaves swirling faster, when they moved forward, in perfect sync with out a word to communicate their intention. As the writing on the stone became clearer, names began to leap out. Names from the past. Uchiha Obito. Hyuuga Neji. As their eyes, frantic now in the search went lower and lower, their world came to a crashing halt.

The wind died down as a single cherry blossom fell to rest on the stone surrounding the memorial. Naruto's blue eyes closed slowly, silent tears already marking his cheeks. Sasuke's sharingan activated subconsciously, looking for the lie, for the genjutsu, looking for something other than the truth. As Naruto's tortured howl reached the heavens, Sasuke's eyes faded back to black, and he fell to his knees. The one person who had always believed in him, the one person who he could count on most, was the person that he had let down for the last time. Sasuke's hand shakily reached out and traced the letters forming a name as familiar as his own.

Haruno Sakura.


	2. Chapter 2

The thrill of battle. It's something that every shinobi knows, ingrained into each heartbeat. It lights up your veins, and suddenly the world just becomes as sharp as the edge of a sword. If I had been told five years ago, that I be surrounded by ten Grass ninjas intent on my life, and that I wouldn't hesitate before taking them down, I would have dropped you off at the psych ward. After all, I was a healer, a decent one, but nothing to write home about. Life is a tricky bitch however, and somethings just can't be foreseen.

For example, I couldn't of predicted Naruto and Sasuke going on Jiraya worthy romp around the world. I couldn't of seen Kakashi's return to full duty ANBU. I sure as shit hadn't seen myself here. Up to my eyes in flying senbon and poison mist, on a mission my village didn't know about, in a country that wanted me dead, with everyone I loved mourning a false death. Like I said, life is a tricky bitch. Let me back up a bit, five years to be exact. Back to when this mess all started.

(Five years previous.)

I stood in Hokage's office, reading a summary of the previous meeting. A request to be granted freedom from village obligations, to "heal from the turmoil", put in by my two closest friends. Naruto and Sasuke had gotten their wish, and were set to leave the village later today. I couldn't believe it. They were leaving. The war had just ended, and everything was just starting to return to normal, and they were bailing out. I felt it then, the beginning of the snap. Instead of lashing out, as Shishou and Shizune obviously expected, judging from their tense expressions and ready stances, I just set the paper down on the desk and smiled. I could feel the strain, the tense set of my face, and knew that it looked like one of Sai's fake smiles, it was the best I could do.

"I understand. They've both been through a lot, and I hope that they can heal each other, and when they come back, I'll be waiting." Feeling that my face would crack with the pressure of keeping up the smile, I took the easiest out and leaped out of the window. I don't remember much of what happened next. The goodbyes, the pain, it was all just a blur, like I was on autopilot. A very small part of my brain focused on saying goodbye, showing the right emotions, even nodding when Naruto yelled, "We'll be back before you know it!" and smiling when Sasuke even managed to add, "I wouldn't desert the village again, I will be back." I knew it was hard for the Uchiha to show even that much emotion, a sign that he was already on the right track, but the larger part of my thoughts were bent on what to do. I couldn't just sit around and wait. I knew that if I tried I'd end up turning the sharp end of my kunai on myself. I wasn't ready to go out like that. So there, watching their backs one more fucking time, I swore to myself. I would step out of their shadows, I would no longer be the person always waiting for them. This time. They would wait for me.

That was the breaking point, the sight of their backs passing through the Konoha gates. It was the last straw. I felt something break inside of me that day. The foolish little girl that had conditioned her hair everyday. Gone. The girl that had found her inner strength in the forest of death. Gone. The girl that had begged to become apprentice to the Hokage, and fought so hard in the war. Gone. The only one left standing was the woman that couldn't sit on the sidelines anymore. From there it was simple. Step one. Train my ass off. Everyone always complimented my chakra control, well lets see what we can do with that. Step two. Find teachers. I trained under Kakashi again, until he returned fulltime to the black ops. From there I learned everything I could, from everyone I could. Genjutsu from Kurenai. Taijutsu from Gai, which hurt like hell. I trained with Hinata, learning more about the chakra system, and the opening points. Tracking from Kiba. The list goes on and on. None of them questioned me. They all seemed to understand that being left once again, had changed me. Tsunade was the only one to question it. When she did, I submitted my name for ANBU.

This is where shit got hard. The entry trials were bad enough. An obligatory ass kicking by current an interrogation/torture session headed by Ibiki Morino, followed by a beat down by the council. The last part was where I was told I failed, it was only after I presented my case, rather strongly, that I was congratulated. If I had just accepted defeat I would of failed, but because I pushed on, I was accepted. Sick bastards, but I had earned my place among them. Pushed to the absolute breaking point, physically, emotionally, and mentally. I came out half dead, beat to hell, but in a better frame of mind than I had been. I guess that says something bad about how I was before, if an interrogation by Morino Ibiki can right my thinking. After I was accepted, it was training with my new team. Studying under Ibiki himself, after I bugged him half to death he finally took me on. My work paid off though. Soon I had reached something that no one ever expected of little Sakura-chan. A hunter-nin. A cold killer, a heartless interrogator (to Ibiki-sensei's pride), and someone no longer bound by the past. I had spent a year training for it. Two years as an operative, until I received a mission that royally fucked my whole plan.

"Haruno. You've surprised us all. You're ranked an s-class ninja in enemy bingo books. The amount of missions you've taken would have killed most people." This was true, in the past two years I'd spent a total of around fifteen days in the village. I didn't like sitting around. Even though not a one of my friends was aware of the extent of my involvement in ANBU, I was sure they were getting suspicious. I shifted my mask in my hands looking down at it. A grinning fox, with three pink whiskers on its cheeks.

"This mission, should you accept it, will ask more from you than has ever been asked. More even than Itachi." This sent a shiver of fear straight down my spine, a feeling I hadn't felt since the war. Everyone knew the truth about Itachi, something I wasn't sure how to feel about. The fear was what did me in, I knew then that I would accept this mission, no matter what. I had missed the sensation, the feeling of ice sliding down my spine, it was reassurance that I was alive. I hadn't been afraid for over a year and a half. Some days I wondered if I had actually killed myself the night Naruto and Sasuke left, and what I was experiencing was just my rendition of hell.

"For all intents and purposes, you will die. The pink fox, as you have been called, will simply vanish. We will have a different operative pretend to be the pink fox, under a new disguise, which should throw the other villages off. But Haruno Sakura will die on a mission. A body will return, a body will be buried, and your name will be added to the monument. However, the body will not be yours. You will be given a mission that rates above s-class. A mission that should you fail, will never be spoken of again. The peace that has lasted since the end of the war is facing a complete break. Some outside influence is pushing at it, and you will find out who and what that is, and wipe it completely off the map. You have permission to use everything you have ever learned, nothing is forbidden. However, you will do this, not as a shinobi of Konoha, but as a nameless, faceless terror." Not what I expected. I paused, thinking about it. Naruto and Sasuke were gone indefinitely. Kakashi was throwing himself into his work, I didn't want him to think that he had failed another comrade. My old Sensei had lost too many people. Tsunade would be furious. Ino would be heartbroken, but Shikamaru would be there for her. A dozen more names and faces ran through my mind, people I would leave behind. People who would mourn me. I looked back up at Ibiki. His scarred face was set into grim lines. They needed this done. And I could do it. I was probably the only one that could. I stared him dead in the eye and said the two words that would set a shit-storm in motion that even I couldn't of prophesized.

"I accept."

From there it was really just a matter of how to stage my death. Besides Ibiki only one other person knew of my mission. Kakashi. The idea lifted a huge weight from my shoulders, I did care about my old sensei and I knew that my death might of been a breaking point. He was my contact, the one that would send me any new information. Which would be great seeings how I had none at all. My death happened at the Kazekage's doorstep. A simple mission, I was sent as a healer to investigate a new illness cropping up in Suna. On the way I was ambushed by a group of rogue ninja. They wanted me for a bounty. It amused me to be in the bingo book twice, once as the pink fox, and once as myself, a high ranking Konoha medic. I was brought down by a single sword strike through the heart. My team managed to step in a save my "body", and brought it back to Konoha. That team was headed by Kakashi, but I wasn't sure who the other two would be, I hoped they weren't any of my friends. At least that was the plan. I have no idea how it really went down. I was in the Land of Earth far to the north. My trademark pink hair was now black, my eyes an unsettling gold, thanks to a special genjutsu that Kurenai and Ibiki came up with, it involved a seal on my lower back, and could only be undone by one of the two. It was easier than trying to dye my hair on the road, or hold a genjutsu of my own. Even if I died my features would remain altered. My face was exactly as it was before, but Ibiki explained that I had changed so much in the past two years that I wouldn't be recognized. It was true. My features were harsher, more prominent. Any trace of softness wiped away by the blood I had been bathed in. My two years in ANBU had brought more successful kills in that time frame than any other, including Kakashi. I spent the next two years roaming the entire ninja world. Eventually I found the cause of the problems. Or rather, the whisper of the cause. And it was shitty.

Present day.

I deflected the latest rain of senbon with a lazy twirl of my sword, sending the needles back at my attacker and his companions. Two caught a ninja in the throat, fine by me, one less to deal with. Four of their number had already fallen to the swift strikes of my blade. I was bored. And annoyed. These pesky assholes were only slowing me down. They weren't worth the time it would take to clean the blood off of my blade. I leapt towards the leader, in a move he obviously didn't track given his gasp of surprise, cut short by the kunai in my left hand tracing its way across his neck, he hadn't fallen before I launched myself off of his shoulder into his ring of companions. Left foot pivot, blades flying, I barely thought about it. Throats cut, heads flying. It hadn't been thirty seconds since the attack began and I was standing surrounded by corpses. Boring. I had about an hour to make it to my "home". A tree that looked as if it had been well seasoned when the first Hokage was born. Over time the center had been hollowed out, creating a natural safe haven, only accessible by an opening fifty feet up in the air. A simple genjutsu covered the entrance, and it was as safe as I could make it. Tonight I was set to hand off the progress of my mission over the past six months to Pakkun, Kakashi's talkative summon. Finally I had something positive to report.

"Oi, girly, you're late, was about to write you off as more dead than usual." The pug on my bed was curled into a ball of fuzz. I was used to his cracks about my being "dead", it was comforting.

"If you leave fleas on my pillow I'll skin you alive Pak." We shared a mutual smile, this was the only contact I had with anyone familiar. Even if it was a smelly pug with questionable people skills. "But on a side note, I have something. Well, the start of something anyways." The scroll I had written earlier today over was sat in front of him. Our past meetings over the last two years had been mostly my reporting of nothing, nothing, and wait for it, more nothing. The pug shot me a narrow eyed look then picked up the scroll in his mouth. We both knew that this would be the start of finally finishing this godforsaken mission. I wondered what had changed in the village, it's not like the pug was any good for gossip. Unless a report on which shinobi was using his brand of shampoo counted, which I didn't think it did.

"I'll get this right back then," muffled around the scroll and a wink later and the little dog was gone. Fleas or not I was sad to see him go. He was my one link with the life I had left behind.

(Konoha - Kakashi and Ibiki)

The two elite ANBU shinobi were walking through the woods in training area three. It was a tradition at this point, to wander the woods waiting for Pakkun, then discuss the report at the monument. Even though Kakashi knew she was alive, it hurt his heart to see Sakura's name engraved on that cold stone. Even so he kept going back, he understood the real possibility that Sakura wouldn't return from her mission, and her name would be on that stone forever. Pausing under a tree, he felt the tingle of chakra that singled Pakkun's return, he held up one hand and looked at the ground. Ibiki nodded and leaned against the trunk. Together they waited.

(Sasuke and Naruto)

They hadn't moved. For hours and hours. Naruto standing, his eyes shut, his breathing harsh. Sasuke, kneeling his hand tracing the letters over and over again. The sun had set, the moon was high in the sky, and still they remained. A vigil for their oldest friend. Their hearts breaking over and over as memories rose up. Pink hair, green eyes. Brilliant colors in the dark world that shinobi live in. A caring heart, a warm smile, and a loyalty to her friends had made Sakura the one constant in their lives. Now that was gone. Ripped away. They didn't know how or why. But when the sun rose, they would find out. When they found out who had taken their friend from them before they could make amends, there would be hell to pay.

(With Kakashi and Ibiki)

"Good news this time boys," the faithful little pug dropped the scroll at their feet and vanished in a small puff of smoke. Kakashi bent down and retrieved the scroll, for the first time in two years, a spark of hope returned.

"Kakashi, open it." Ibiki snapped, a lifetime of command in his tone. In fact the only time he hadn't straight out bossed someone around was when he offered Sakura the mission. Kakashi just opened the seal and began to read. His eye flashing across lines of neat print, and slowly he began to stand straighter. The weight that had rested on his shoulder for the past two years began to lift. "Kakashi…" Ibiki was practically radiating anxiety, not knowing something drove him to the brink of madness.

"She did it." Kakashi exhaled a half laugh. He turned towards the monument, before tossing the scroll behind his shoulder at Ibiki. Catching it with a scowl, Ibiki followed him reading.

"Fang and scar.

Fox reports the door is found. The lock is a simple blade of grass. Phase one will be complete when the blossoms fly. Request assist for phase two. Meet time and place return via mutt mail.

Fox out."

Ibiki understood Kakashi's chuckle. It appeared that in two years, Sakura had started to remember her old self. The hard ass ANBU was there in the carefully coded words, but the cherry blossom was in her teasing code names. More importantly she was finally getting somewhere. The message was easy to understand. The door is found, she has found out the cause of the unrest. Simple blade of grass, that leaves Ninjas from The Village hidden in the Grass are to blame. Unsurprising, with two factions constantly warring in the village, and their habit of information gathering. Grass had been a prime target, but even so, the fact that she had evidence to blame them was impressive. The request for help, meaning that it must be a big ass problem. She had been instructed to solve the problem on her own if at all possible. Knowing Sakura, the fact she was asking for an assist meant the problem was edging towards war like proportions. The final part was setting a time for her to have concrete information. The year had been mild, so the Sakura trees had just started to bloom, that left about a week before the blossoms would begin to fall. _Smart girl. Smarter and stronger than anyone gave her credit for. _Despite himself, Ibiki found a small chuckle passing his lips. He looked up only to nearly walk into Kakashi. Past a fluff of grey hair he saw two figures in front of the memorial stone. One kneeling, and one standing, both looking as if they had been carved from stone. The clouds that had been blocking the moon suddenly shifted, shedding light on the two. "Well, I'll be fucked. They're back," Ibiki's tone was about as warm as a high mountain glacier. All Kakashi did was nod.

As one the two elite ninja slipped back into the trees, to send a return to Sakura.

**A/N: Minor editing done to this chapter. As in I deleted about a million misused comma's. sigh. **


	3. Chapter 3

(The following morning)

The sun thrust its way up into the sky with a brutal determination. As the first rays hit his face, Naruto opened his eyes. They were red, not from the Kyuubi, but from the countless tears still staining his face, he looked down, at his last best friend in the world. His chest felt empty, like his heart had been cut clean in two, and only half of it was working.

The sun's warmth seemed perverse to Sasuke. How dare anything be warm, when he felt so cold. He felt Naruto's hand land lightly on his shoulder, and he looked up at the last family he had. Kakashi was important sure, but Naruto and Sakura had been his family. Once more, he was losing his family. A sharp stab of regret shot through the Uchiha, he had left Sakura, for selfish reasons, and now she was dead. Now he would never be able to make up for all of the harsh words, the pain, and all of her tears.

As Sasuke rose, they turned and headed slowly towards the Hokage tower. Kakashi peered at them over the cover of his Icha-Icha book and his eye crinkled in a slight smile. With a puff of smoke, he too was gone.

As they walked through the village, their old friends took in the broken look on both of their faces. Naruto simply looked like his entire world had been ripped apart. Sasuke was showing more emotion than most could ever remember, but under his pain, a brutal rage was building. Climbing the stairs to the Hokage's office, they both braced themselves. The Hokage's rage from the day before was completely understandable. They had left, and because of that, the girl that they both held close in their hearts was gone. Gone some place where all of their training could never reach.

(In Tsunade's office)

"I can tell from your faces you've been filled in somewhat on the events you have missed," Tsunade was slightly regretting her fit of rage yesterday, for these two the grief was still fresh. She had had two years to get used to the idea that flashing green eyes would never stare at her at the end of a mission. That the brilliant pink hair would never whip around as she left through the window. She sighed and opened a drawer, pulling out a folder with three pieces of paper inside. The first was a copy of the mission scroll that she had given to Sakura's team the day she left, and never came back. The second was a bloodstained scrap of paper, taken from a messenger hawk, Sakura's desperate call for backup. The third was Sakura's official death certificate. Tsunade set all three of these in front of the two, and then leaned back in her chair.

"You deserve to understand the events that lead up to your teammates death, and as long as you let me speak without interruptions, I will tell you."

(Flashback, two years ago)

Tsunade rolled her eyes at the ANBU report sitting on her desk. The sunlight streaming in the window behind her hit the paper, and the glass bottle next to it. Taking a large drink straight from the bottle, she called out for Shizune to fetch a team. Not even five minutes later a four man squad was assembled in her office. Haruno Sakura, the medic required to deal with the sickness in the the ANBU report, Hatake Kakashi, Hyuuga Hinata one of Tsunade's newest medic students, and Sai. It was a quick briefing, the team would pack, and leave within the hour. After they were dismissed Tsunade called out to her apprentice. Taking in Sakura's appearance once again the Hokage found herself wondering how the little slip of a girl that had demanded to be trained, was the hardened and jaded ANBU hunter-nin standing in her office.

"I need the medic on this mission Sakura, not the fox." The pink haired girl just nodded, then walked up to Tsunade and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Don't worry Shishou, I've got it under control." With that the girl was out of the office, just in time for the local Konoha radio to announce the lucky numbers for the grand prize. "7 12 14 53 24 and 61." With a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach, Tsunade confirmed, that she had just won a million dollars.

(Present day)

"Four hours later the messenger hawk came in. I immediately dispatched an ANBU team to assist them. By the time the ANBU team arrived, Hatake Kakashi was critically wounded, Sai was unconscious, and Hyuuga Hinata was still fighting one of the assailants. Haruno Sakura was missing. It was a rogue team, looking to collect the bounty on Sakura's head. The ANBU team tracked them and retrieved her body." Tsunade paused in her story to take in the horrified looks on Naruto and Sasuke's faces. _I wonder what they would think if I told them about her ANBU career, maybe after..._

"I performed the autopsy myself when they returned, it was without a doubt Haruno Sakura. The rest of her team recovered within the month. Her name was added to the memorial stone directly after the funeral."

"I don't know who broke my order, but they will be punished." Tsunade had her suspicions, that Nara again. Before Tsunade could continue she felt a familiar chakra behind her shoulder. A sure sign Kakashi was sitting at the broken window. Naruto's whiskered cheeks had tear trails down them again, and the Uchiha was positively thermonuclear pissed off. They both were full of self guilt, they had left their place in the village, and Sakura had died.

"Hokage-sama, you didn't need to leave the window open for me," Kakashi teased. At his teasing tone the hokage whirled and stared at him. The dark mood of the room was instantly cut through. Naruto and Sasuke both stared at him blankly. He had been on the mission. He had seen Sakura _die_, and yet he sat there teasing them.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled. For all of the past two years he had moped, taken suicide missions, and generally been depressed. And for all his general lack of tact and care, even Kakashi should have been able to read the mood in the room. Something was off about him.

"Naruto, Sasuke, welcome back." At this the two both flinched and lowered their gazes. They knew that Kakashi would blame himself for Sakura's death, and he would also likely blame them as well. "Tsunade, could you please put them back on the duty roster. Also, Ibiki will be here shortly to give them the briefing." Kakashi delivered his little speech with an eye crinkle, and proceeded to pull out Icha-Icha and ignore them all.

(Thirty minutes later, with Ibiki, Tsunade, Sasuke, and Naruto.)

"Baa-chan I'm so sorry.. We should of been he-" A sharp wave cut Naruto off. It was not the first time she had been forced to relive her students last moments, but it still wasn't easy. She was half a bottle of sake down by the time Naruto and Sasuke were through asking questions. Ibiki and Kakashi just kept silent through it all. Through the rage from Sasuke, mostly directed at himself. It exploded from his form in an icy gale. He was still an avenger at heart, and he was going to get revenge for a girl that should've been innocent of all of this pain. Through the tears and promises of revenge for Sakura-chan from Naruto. Naruto's pain was tangible. It tangled with the icy rage from Sasuke, magnifying and amplifying it. Even as the pain morphed into a rage to match the Uchiha's. They kept their mouths shut.

Kakashi waited until they had fallen silent before offering this, "She would not blame you for her death, and you will not blame yourselves either." Kakashi understood that the two would need to be filled in as soon as possible, before they skipped out again to get revenge, but they also needed to grieve. With a nod at Ibiki, they decided to keep the secret just a little bit longer. A very dark part of Kakashi's mind noted that the pain would do the idiots good.

"We will meet tonight, at the memorial stone. You need to be caught up to speed on current events as soon as possible, but that can wait. Take this time to remember Sakura as she was. She deserves that." With this Ibiki turned and exited the room. With a two fingered salute Kakashi leapt back out the window, leaving the three to mend their wounds.

(With Sakura)

I liked this little tree base of mine. It had been a home of sorts for the past year, ever since I turned my suspicions on the grass ninja. I kept all all of my personal objects packed up. Mainly weapons and scrolls. I had one thing left out at all times. My ANBU mask. A grinning fox, with three pink painted whiskers on each cheek. I had missed Naruto. In ways that surprised me. I wasn't sure when I had stopped loving Sasuke. Maybe when he had left me yet again. I hated them both, and in some ways I still did. But as time went on. I forgave Sasuke first. I knew he had been emotionally broken so many times over his life, and expecting him to just return to the village as if nothing had happened was cruel. It took me almost a year to come to that conclusion. It was six more months more before I could forgive Naruto. He always gave so much to his friends.I was still mad as hell at them both for leaving me. Even if I could say to myself that I had forgiven them, I knew in my heart that I still hadn't. After all they had been roaming around the land, and enjoying themselves. They probably didn't even realize what I had gone through, how I had changed. At that point in time, Sasuke was the friend in the greatest need. I had always put up such a good show, Naruto truly believed I would be fine. He was likely beating himself black and blue over guilt from my "death". He would blame himself. Put all of the blame on his shoulders. The sadistic part of my mind, the one that I unleashed when I put on the mask chuckled with a dark glee. The smaller, more beaten down and broken part of my mind whispered that it was cruel to let him suffer, to enjoy it. Even if I had died, or if I died before this mission was over, it would be no one's fault but my own. I had chosen my path. And the consequences that came with it were mine alone. I wanted to be back in Konoha, taking wild missions and living on the edge. The pink terror of our enemies and some of our allies. Not this black haired harridan. I dressed in my ANBU uniform for the first time since leaving the Leaf. As I pulled the mask over my face, I grinned to myself, it was time to start putting the pieces together and follow my lead.

(The memorial, roughly midnight)

The night is still. The wind is gone, the sky is empty and clear. The calm of the weather contrasts sharply with the turmoil of emotions below. For Kakashi and Ibiki, pain and guilt mix in a potent cocktail. They feel the pain of her death, and the pain of the others, and guilt because while they hold the answer to soothe this pain, it's too soon. For Tsunade the pain has returned full force, in a way it rarely does since the funeral. For Sasuke, rage, and a feeling of helplessness he hasn't felt since the day his clan fell to his brothers sword. And for Naruto, heartbreak, he wanted so badly to return to Sakura, to find her whole and safe, and to make his quest for her heart known. Pain echos off of their faces, rebounding and doubling back as they look at each other. Ibiki's sigh is the first thing to break the silence.

"The first thing you should understand, is that what you are about to hear is classified, Tsunade is well acquainted with Sakura's...exploits after you left," As Ibiki spoke, the three people in front of him glared at him with varying intensity. Tsunade was glaring out of habit. Sasuke looked absolutely murderous, his eyes were black chips of diamond, but he was listening. Naruto looked utterly ruined, the pain and self loathing in his eyes nearly out shined the anger he held. Above all though, the two males showed curiosity. Clearing his throat slightly Kakashi stepped in.

"Four years ago Haruno Sakura joined the ANBU. Tsunade, you know this, and you know the extent of her achievements there. Most everyone else in this village is in the dark about how much Sakura had grown, and how well she had done" Lifting his hand to silence the exclamations of surprise and disbelief coming at him he continued. "I have two copies of her folder here, please feel free to examine them, the Sakura that you left changed. She lost something of herself when you two left, and this was how she managed. She took the pain, and drowned it in blood, hers and others." With his words Naruto and Sasuke flinched. Both of them assuming that her death was their fault. They knew that it was their fault that she had picked up an ANBU mask, instead of staying safe at the hospital. It was their fault that she had stopped saving lives, and started taking them. Pausing to let them go through her file he took a small amount of pleasure at the shock on their faces. Another part of Kakashi resented the shock, even with her dead the two men just couldn't see her potential, couldn't see her as being equal.

Name: Haruno Sakura.

Alias: The Pink Fox

Age of enlistment: 17

Rank: Jounin

Skills and Abilities: Perfect chakra control. Strong genjutsu. Proficient taijutsu. Impressive ninjutsu. Shows skills in all elements, with specialization in water. Impeccable sword skills. Intimate knowledge of chakra systems. High level tracker. Certified for field interrogations.

Instructors: Hatake Kakashi, The Godaime Hokage, Yuuhi Kurenai, Maito Guy, Morino Ibiki, Hyuuga unknown, Inuzuka unknown, others unknown.

Designation: Hunter-nin

Mission history (ANBU):

A-Rank: 25 complete

S-Rank: 28 complete

Current Assignment: N/A

It was brief. Not very descriptive, and didn't do her justice by half in Ibiki's opinion. The number of missions completed didn't even touch on the things she had done. It didn't account for the sheer speed she had done missions in, sometimes taking three at a time and coming back in two weeks. It was madness, but also the best thing to ever happen to a supervisor. He had seen the remains of one of her targets that had a penchant for little girls. To this day Ibiki didn't know what jutsu she had up her sleeve that had turned the man's bones to liquid, or how she kept him alive while he melted into a puddle. He had watched her interrogations, and found himself mildly thankful she was on his side. He didn't know how many leaf ninjas could hold up to her. The balance between pain and reward, fear and admiration that she inspired in her victims was artfull, not that she couldn't become completely bloodthirsty if the situation called for. But they had Anko for complete blood lust,

"What does it mean that her current assignment is N/A, she is...she's gone." Naruto stumbled over the words, but he was staring at Ibiki suspiciously.

"That is standard ANBU procedure, no one outside of the ANBU community and some of our leadership was aware that Sakura was really the pink fox, it keeps the other nations in line, thinking that she might be on the loose somewhere, or even watching them. In death her reputation is enough to help protect the village, like she would of wanted." Ibiki paused again then looked at Kakashi for help.

Kakashi stepped forward and addressed the two men. "I worked with her multiple times, she was good. The best rookie of that group, and even though I don't know how you two have progressed, I'd stake everything I own on the fact that she could of taken you down." Ignoring the blank look of surprise and tears on Naruto's face, and the shock and disbelief on Sasuke's, he turned back to Tsunade, she nodded her agreement. Sakura excelled in planning, with her background knowledge of the boys and just enough bloodlust she would tear them into pieces.

Minutes passed, then Naruto broke the silence. "She was good, wasn't she?" Kakashi nodded. "Then… Then who the fuck took her down?!" Naruto looked even more upset, and Sasuke's expression mirrored it.

Kakashi stepped forward and put his hand on Naruto's head and leaned him down so that they were eye to eye. "I was there, the group that attacked on that mission was above anything I have ever seen, Akatsuki included. We have been trying to gather information on them, but the latest field report only vaguely incriminates the Grass village. We are trying, and you can help." Here he looked to Sasuke, "You can both help. Help us find them. Help us finish this."

Sasuke's dark eyes glittered, revenge was a language he spoke well, clapping his hand on the blonde's shoulder he spoke for them both, "We will end them. For her. For the only sister I ever had and was stupid enough to leave."

Kakashi crinkled an eye at them both, "I believe she deserves that much."

**A/N: Not a whole lot of changes with this chapter, fixed some grammar and changed a few details. **


	4. Chapter 4

(Four days later, with Sakura)

"Sakuraaaaaaaaa." The voice was familiar and I couldn't help but smile.

"What's up, Pak?" The little dog was grinning in a way that shouldn't be possible for a canine.

"Kakashi and Ibiki sent a message." With a wink the little dog curled up on my pillow again. I half heartedly threw a kunai over his head as a reminder about the fleas. He held up a small paw, and I poked his pads halfheartedly.

"Fox.

Fire burns grass, the brightest flames have returned. They know the story of the mask, but not the tale that follows. Meet where the tears fall in two months, to discuss revival and collaboration.

The pug has been freshly washed in a flea shampoo, your pillow is safe.

Fang"

The brightest flames have returned… So Naruto and Sasuke were back in the village. They had surely been filled in by now. On my ANBU career and death. I scratched Pakkun's stomach and ignored the strange half snort noises he made. "You let Kakashi get at you with flea shampoo?" Judging from the narrowed eyes and attempted nip, the dog had not enjoyed it much. Where the tears fall…. The monument? Konoha? They wanted me to come back? No. Two months from now was too soon, too soon to go back, and too soon to solve this. I needed more time, particularly if they expected me to even think about dealing with the two idiots.

"I'm going out to follow up on my lead, I'll bring you back dinner if you want to stick around." Pakkun just curled up tighter on my pillow. I was stepping out of the entrance when his voice sounded.

"I do expect you are going to tell Kakashi and Ibiki about this man you've partnered up with."

I turned back and raised an eyebrow at the little dog, "I'm way outside of the wire here Pak, I don't have to get any of this shit cleared." With that I was out and moving through the forest to meet my lead, and I thought back to the first time I had met my current informant.

**Flashback.**

I stood at the border between the grass country, and earth country. A lot had gone into my mission so far. I had tracked down one of Jiraiya's informants, and had to implement some of Ibiki-sensei's teachings to get him to open up to me. I felt low for resorting to that, but I had to know what he knew. Instead of resenting me, or being upset, the old man had burst out laughing and told me I had passed his test. I suppose being a spy for the pervert allowed him a small measure of insanity. Not many people giggled after being interrogated…

Perching on a wide tree limb, I couldn't help but miss the forests of Konoha. The trees here belonged in an ancient jungle, with giant mushrooms sprouting everywhere. I let my long black hair fall free, falling over my shoulders. I hadn't been able to wear my ANBU uniform, and was forced to pick up clothes on the way. I had on a mesh tank top, a black halter top that left my midriff exposed, and tight black pants tucked into my thigh high boots. Black on black, Ino would cry tears of shame, but it worked. The clothes were definitely an indicator of my shinobi status, even if the katana across my back didn't give it away. The lack of a forehead protector raised only a few eyebrows, after the war many shinobi had grown bored with the peace enforced by their villages, and had struck out as mercenaries. Not everyone subscribed to the idea that we are all allies after the war, and very muchly longed for conflict. It was simple enough to me to disappear in their ranks. Just like Ibiki said, a nameless, faceless, ghost to take down the threat to the peace.

A flicker of movement caught my eye, just to the left, behind a tree. Instead of moving on it, I relaxed further, hoping I could draw whatever it was out without resorting to violence. I scratched the side of my nose lazily. A fight so soon after I crossed the border into the grass would be unfortunate, I really didn't need to bring any extra attention to myself. My patience paid off, and a figure dropped to the ground and looked up at me with his hands spread wide, a small smile pulling at his lips. I stared back down impassively, a kunai reflexively in my left hand. That left my sword hand open if I needed it, and an untrained enemy instantly assumes my left is my dominant hand, and they attack accordingly. Often to their downfall. The man standing below me was about average height, with ice blue eyes and shaggy black hair falling into his eyes. He, like me, was dressed like a shinobi, but there wasn't a weapon in his hands, and there wasn't a headband marking his allegiance.

"Hi there," he smiled slightly. I raised an eyebrow and slipped the kunai back into my holster.

"What are you doing? Trying to get yourself full of holes or something?", in response to my question he grinned fully and shrugged.

"Nah, I'm just a curious little guy. There hasn't been the need for many rogues around here, but that's obviously what you are. I am too, and I'm wondering why you've suddenly decided to show up and add some competition for my clients," he was careful, standing totally still and not dropping his eyes from mine, even while I scanned the trees habitually, "can you come down and we can talk about why we both are really here?"

I turned my eyes back to his and smiled coldly. "I'm here for mushrooms."

"These mushrooms are useless, so unless you have a passion for decorating with overgrown fungi, you're here for something other than the scenery," the rogue dropped his hands, "you might not want to work with me, but this is a big forest and it wouldn't hurt to at least talk to me."

I dropped down to the forest floor and shrugged, "What do you know that you think I'll care about?"

"The usual, civil unrest, a camp of dissidents a few miles from here, plots to shatter the new and shiny world peace," the rogue paused and smiled. "Doing anything for you yet?"

"Well it's never a bad idea to source local information," I smiled back at him, "and I can always kill you later if you stop being useful."

**End Flashback.**

Now I was on my way to meet him, Isamu, the other "rogue". He had quickly filled me in on his suspicions and in the week that passed since first meeting him he had in fact proved useful. The hidden grass village had two factions constantly warring within it, the Grass Flower which had been pushing to use the ancient weapon rumored to be hidden in the village long ago, and the Grass Fruit which opposed its use. The ancient weapon had never been actually confirmed to exist but the two factions had been at each other's throats for years Grass Flower was the faction that we cared about. Isamu was there to take down the leader of the faction, in an effort to destabilize the whole movement. He tried to play it off as taking the bounty as a rogue, but there was too much about him that screamed village shinobi. The willingness to approach a total stranger and ask to work together for one. I had already started a list of tips for him, so the next time he went undercover he wouldn't get himself murdered eight different ways. I wasn't sure what village he was from exactly, but his mannerisms and the way he griped about the "great bloody trees blocking out the sky", lent me to lean towards Suna. In any case we had reached an agreement. He gave me information, I'd be there to lend a benevolent helping hand when he made his move against the leader.

I reached the preset meeting spot and crouched on a tree limb.

Not even five minutes later Isamu dropped onto the limb next to me, catching the shuriken I threw at him out of habit. "That's rather rude Ino-chan." As always hearing Ino's name from him was strange, but I had never chosen a specific name for myself as a rogue, and it least it got my attention.

"That's him. We'll move in an hour when they change the guard for lunch." He pointed out a nondescript ninja in the center of the camp, with mud brown hair and a waxy complexion he was just the type of person to never stick out in a crowd. I had learned long ago to not judge someone by their looks. Settling in to wait out the hour, barely brushing shoulders with Isamu. He wasn't a teammate, or even a comrade by any stretch of the word, but he was all I had in this sodden jungle hell. I'd take the human interaction where I could.

The hour passed quickly, and soon enough I was crouched low in a thicket bushes at the edge of the camp. I scanned the area to the right where Isamu was hiding, and watched for some sort of signal. He burst through the undergrowth into the camp and half a second later I was behind him. The two guards on my side went down in twin sprays of crimson, chakra scalpels glowing on my finger tips. Isamu took his two down easily and we crouched waiting for the four replacements. When they came, it was silent. They didn't even catch sight of the bodies of their comrades before I rammed a kunai through one's temple and the other through the next one's throat. In less than two minutes, we had cut their forces in half. All that remained was the leader, his two personal guards, and the other six roaming the interior. At least that was the best case scenario for personnel, there could be more, and a good shinobi prepared for the worst.

Initially I was surprised at the lack of people in the camp, but as Isamu had pointed out they were running a coup, gathering intelligence, and causing political unrest in at least two nations. At times the base was full, fifty to a hundred people, but there were times like now that the forces stretched thin, leaving the boss and his personal entourage. Sixteen shinobi, chuunin and jounin level. The eight we had just taken down were the chuunin. The ones inside would be more of a challenge, and the two that stayed with the target at all times were supposed to be passably good. I briefly entertained the idea that this might be similar to that long ago disaster in the Wave.

Isamu and I dove into the base. This was where our intel got sketchy. We had no idea of the layout, but in general the leader would be at the deepest part of the base, behind multiple layers of protection. Slipping into my old hunter-nin habits was easy as usual. The chill in my bones of absolute focus and the desire to shed blood. I swerved down the first right and Isamu went left.. I came up on my first shinobi on the inside. A breath of wind on his back was all the warning he got, and he died before he could turn to look. A simple medical jutsu stopped his heart in his chest. I was five steps down the hall when his body hit the ground. The pattern repeated for the next two targets, silent kill, quick death. I rounded a corner and nearly killed Isamu on reflex. His teeth flashed white in the dark as he shook his head at me. Judging by the blood spatter across his face, he had been successful too. That left at least three people in the base.

Everything planned ahead of time there wasn't a pause as we ghosted down the last hallway. The guards were my problem, distracting both of them while Isamu took the leader down. I idly thank whatever gods might be listening that Orochimaru didn't design this base.I'd had my fill of ridiculous mazes and shit lighting. I took the lead at the last second and kicked the door in. The shabby piece of wood splintered into a hazardous rain of shrapnel into the room. The guard closest to me caught a sliver of door to the face making it entirely too easy to plant a kunai in his eye socket. The final guard shoved his boss behind his back and faced me with a snarl. I didn't dignify that with a response outside of launching a fleet of poisoned senbon towards his face. Isamu took the opportunity for what it was and a flash step later had the leaders head separated from his body.

A prickle of dread made the hair on my neck stand up. That was all entirely too easy. I ignored Isamu's victory grin and rammed a kunai through the poisoned guard's throat. Something was about to go wrong in the most monumental of ways.

And woe to the shinobi who didn't listen to a gut feeling like that.

**A/n: I am so sorry to the people that read the first edition of this chapter jesus lord have mercy my tenses were fucked. But thats all better now and I'm a lot happier with the chapter now. **


	5. Chapter 5

(Konoha)

Sasuke and Naruto wandered the village listlessly, seeing old faces. Hinata and Kiba, out on a date. Naruto had nearly tripped in the middle of the street when the mild mannered Hyuuga pressed her body into Kiba's in an alley behind the popular shinobi bar. Sasuke contained his reaction to a very undignified wheeze. That same bar was a witness to the reunion between the Konoha eleven, or what was left of it. What followed bordered between an all out brawl and tearful reunion.

Ino and Shikamaru had gotten married, and had a son. Ino alternated between drinking heavily, and loudly declaring all of the ways Shikamaru was superior to Sasuke. Loudly and drunkenly.

Choji sat near his teammates, snacking on the bar chips and drinking a beer. He had accepted the return of the two male members of team 7 with a few minutes of highly aggravated chomping. He was dating a girl from Suna, and was planning a trip there soon. He also blatantly ignored Ino, and refused to talk about Sakura. Sasuke and Naruto both filed all of this away to speak to Tsunade about later.

Hinata and Kiba were snuggled up in the corner of the booth, Hinata still looking teary eyed over her recollection of Sakura's last mission. Kiba was alternating between comforting her and snarling insults, threats, and after a few drinks a reluctant welcome back. Kiba also refused point blank to help Naruto when Akamaru ripped the ass out of his beloved orange pants. "Dogs know" he said magnanimously and snickered.

Shino was lurking around the corner of the bar, only drifting forward to berate Naruto for not recognizing him, and to give them both his "formal greeting." The two friends once again agreed that Shino was...strange.

Lee nearly turned himself inside out yelling about youth, and flames, and other such things. Tenten finally put a leash on her boyfriend and cornered him. Both had welcomed Naruto and Sasuke back unconditionally. Lee didn't have the ability to hold a grudge, and Tenten had summed it up nearly perfectly "I worked with Sakura a couple times after she put on the mask. She was good. Didn't hold the kind of chakra reserves or raw power that you two do, but she made up for it by being smart. Cunning even. What she lacked in the way of demon chakra, or sharingan she made up with by pushing the limit. She was one of the best, and a good friend." After her little speech Tenten had teared up and drowned the tears and memories in sake. Lee was, for the good of everyone, sticking to soda.

It broke Naruto's heart. The rough welcome that he and his remaining best friend received, both the good and the bad. The memories that every familiar face triggered. The reminder of all the lost chances. The opportunities they had wasted while they went and "saw the world". They could of been team seven again. They could have been at home and happy. Now Sakura was dead, their friends were lukewarm to them at best for the majority, and they both felt the crushing loneliness creeping back in.

The night wore on. As the alcohol flew freely, so too did forgiveness. First was Ten Ten, hanging off Lee as he walked her home. She had offered forgiveness in a drunken slur over her shoulder. Lee have given his patented nice guy smile. Next, Hinata and Kiba. Kiba slammed two beers on the table in front of Naruto and Sasuke, muttering that he would rather be dead than be where they were. Words that would be much more painful when the beer induced buzz faded. Hinata apologized once again, before passing out cold in Kiba's arms.

Last to come up was Ino and Shikamaru. Despite drinking heavily all night long the blonde was standing steading, and her words came out clearly. "Sakura would of been happy to see you back. Furious that you left the way you did. I'm just sorry that she couldn't be here to pummel you, then forgive you. So I guess that'll be up to me." With a grin and a wicked gleam in her eye, Ino punched Naruto in the side of his head, knocking his blonde hair into Sasukes. Both boys were left with tears in their eyes, and Shikamaru's slight smile swimming in front of them.

As all nights must, this one came to an end. It brought the first step of closure, and as the sun rose they wondered how exactly they ended up on the Fourth hokage's stone head. Naruto was sprawled out, snoring gently, and Sasuke was sitting propped up against one of the yondaime's hair spikes.

Tsunade's sandals slammed into the rock of the monument with a resounding clack, startling Sasuke into alertness. Naruto snored on, oblivious for the moment. Sasuke tried to peer up at the hokage, but the morning rays were driving spikes into his eyes. For an irrational moment he wondered if he had got into a fight and overused the Sharingan, until his stomachs displeased rumbling made itself known.

"Rough night boys?" Tsunade's smirk was just a tad too knowing for Sasuke's liking. Losing patience with the snoring blonde, Tsunade kicked him in his hip spurring a great deal of whining and rocking back and forth clutching his side from Naruto.

"Pull yourselves together. Choji is preparing to leave for Sand and you'll accompany him. The Kazekage has requested to see both of you as soon as you return, and since you are both technically genin you have to travel with someone of rank. Meet at the gate in two hours." When two groans rose from the shinobi, the fifth grinned and went off to her paperwork. Now she could understand the sick pleasure Shizune had always got from waking her up for her duties.

(In grass country)

It had been two days since Isamu and I had raided the rebel's base. He had left later that same day with the leaders head sealed in a transport scroll. I planned to hang around, and see if the returning troops were the cause for my unease. Besides it would be foolish to leave the resistance with the majority of its people intact. The least I could do is thin the herd a bit. Leaving a clone to monitor the camp for me I returned back to my tree base.

"Smells like your raid went well," Pakkun's gruff little voice sounded from my bed. I sighed.

"You would know. But the raid is only the start. I'm going to stay here for a while and deal with the returning forces. So you might as well go home", I started stripping out of my clothes, they needed washed in bad way. I had donned the ANBU armor, foregoing the fox mask for a cloth one much like Kakashi's. Even with my hair and eyes changed, I wasn't taking any chances with my identity here ever clashing with my true one. The implications were messy to even think about.

"Can't girly, sorry. Strict orders not to leave until I have an answer about your return," Pakkun was sprawled out facing me, his head resting on his crossed front paws, "No hurry though, your bed is better than Kakashi's." I snorted to myself, considering Pakkun was lazing around on a cot that collapsed small enough to be stored in a storage scroll, that said something.

"You can't tell them I'll take it into consideration, but there are many factors at work here?" I asked hopefully. Pakkun just gave a small snort and blinked at me. Fuck. I wasn't ready to go back. Every shinobi sense I had was standing up and shouting this thing in grass wasn't even close to over. I had to stay here as long as it took to figure out what I was missing. Besides, Konoha was a difficult prospect to face. I had been gone so long the city that had always been my home sounded like a foreign land. Where I would have to face a significant number of angry friends.

All of my armor stripped off and thrown in a water basin, I started pulling the leg holster from my thigh, and the glittering kunai within made me pause. They had been a gift from Tenten. The weapons mistress was one of the few that knew that I was the fox, and she had given the set to me when I made the promotion to hunter nin. The friendship with Tenten had surprised me, but I grew close to her. Pulling one of the kunai from the pouch I twirled it in my hand as I sat down next to Pakkun. Being brought back to life wouldn't be all bad, but gods above I wished that Naruto and Sasuke were still galavanting across the continent.

"How long do I have to decide Pak?" Not that it mattered.

"It could be centuries and it wouldn't be long enough girly, we both know that," the pug heaved a deep sigh, "Three days. You have three days before they press the issue." I patted his head. Maybe in three days there would be a new development, maybe in three days I would be able to decide what to do. Right now I'd rather pretend my only problem was what to do about the rest of the rebels due to return to the destroyed camp.

Two days passed, and I was running out of time.I fought with myself on what to send Pakkun back with. Would I tell them no, or would I agree then not show up? Actually going back was definitely out. I had decided that after I tried to pen an acceptance and ended up shaking so badly the scroll fell to the floor. I was heading back to check on the camp since my clone had dispelled itself without seeing anything new. Instead of the bloody wasteland I expected the camp was crawling with ninja. Masking my chakra and sinking closer to the tree trunk, I stared at the shinobi swarming the ground. Most didn't wear a hitai ate. A few bore the mark of a missing-nin. A couple earth shinobi, and a handful of mist. Over half were branded as grass nin. The remainder made my blood freeze in my veins then, erupt into rage like molten lava. Sound headbands stared up at me from all over the camp. A terrible premonition swept over me. Kabuto hadn't been apprehended during the war, he had slithered away. We had hoped he had been killed by the other side and his body destroyed but that wasn't the way our luck worked. Even though the Sound village had been disbanded and destroyed, Kabuto's disappearance had left a bad taste. I scanned the camp again, hoping both to see the pale man, and to find him absent. Instead a chill swept my body.

"You should be more careful little one, I am not the low level trash that you and your companion swept through." The words were said with a lack of emotion or inflection, just a slight hiss at the end of the sentence. Skin crawling I turned to the right and put my back to the thick trunk of the jungle tree. Light refracted from the round glasses perched on his nose. Purple markings streaking from his eyes, his gold and slitted eyes. Kabuto.

"You see, we knew that eventually we would draw attention here. And when we did a plan had long been set in place. You are better than we had planned though. You and your little friend were supposed to die in that place. Instead you killed my men, and the fool man left. Yet you stayed. Too smart for your own health girl," Kabuto stood relaxed, shoulders loose under the long robe he wore.

What could I do. Options. Think. Damnit think. If it was one on one I would have taken the chance on the battle without a second thought. But he had legions of back up, and I was just a lone shinobi. If I died here, I would fail my mission. If I died here Konoha would be in the dark about this danger. I took a breath, and did the one thing that I hadn't done since I put on the mask.

I ran. I put all of the chakra I could into my legs and ran as fast as I could. A single minded intensity took over me. I had to meet Kakashi and Ibiki. As soon as I could I had to tell them this in person, a full report. Plans, secondary plans, and tertiary plans flew through my mind circling each other. I couldn't feel any chakra pursuing me, and that sent another cold shot down my spine. If they had already found my tree, then they would have the scrolls that contained my ANBU gear and mask, as well as notes I had made over the course of the mission. Things that would send them to Konoha. Even if I wasn't ready to go home before, I had to protect the village.

Instead I found the tree as it always was, complete with snoozing pug. I picked him up and even as he blinked and grumbled I was giving him directions.

"Tell Kakashi to meet me at the town closest to where I died. Tell him grass and sound have allied and are lead by the snake himself. Go now." Pakkun nodded and vanished in a poof of smoke, I gathered my scrolls in a few seconds, leaving everything behind I could. Once I was done it was a quick fire jutsu to burn the tree down and I was on my way. The town I had picked was in south eastern wind country, and despite its small population it boasted many inns and bars, a result of being along the main thoroughfare between Konoha and Suna. I raced through the trees paranoia riding shotgun with me, praying I would make it to Kakashi with the information I held. Even if it killed me, I would complete this mission. And I would not lead that slimy bastard to my village.

(Konoha main gate)

The sound of Choji comping on his chips reverberated between Sasuke's ears, causing his head to throb even harder. Shouldering his pack and hoping the run to Suna would make him sweat the alcohol out of his system he turned to Naruto. Thanks to the Kyuubi, whatever hangover he had woken with was long gone.

"Come on why can't we leave already? I wanna see Gaara. I can't wait to tell him about our journey!" Exuberance had returned to Naruto finally. Though he still grieved for Sakura, and had plans of revenge in his mind, his spirit was rising again. There wasn't a lot that could keep him down.

"You heard the hokage, Kakashi is supposed to meet us with information before we leave," Choji reminded the blond even as he finished his chips. Sasuke grunted slightly, and Naruto whined about Kakashi's late habits.

A small cloud of smoke erupted around the trio's ankles. Pakkun held up a small paw in greeting. "Sorry boys, Kakashi has an emergency meeting and won't make it. He sent me to tell you to be careful while going through the land of rivers, there has been reports of rogue gangs roaming there." His message conveyed the pug vanished in a second poof of smoke.

"That's it?! What the hell! We can handle any rogues!" Naruto's blue eyes shot fire.

"Forget it, let's move," Sasuke turned to the gate and headed out. Choji nodded in agreement and followed the Uchiha.

(In the ANBU headquarters, Ibiki's office)

"That's all she said?" Ibiki couldn't believe it. Usually Sakura was better about reports than that. Kakashi shrugged.

"Pakkun said she came into her hide away like the hounds of hell were at her heels. And if her message means what I think it does, that could be very true." Kakashi sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. Worry for Sakura was worming its way around his head and heart.

"You really think this is Kabuto?" Ibiki was sitting at his desk a pensive expression on his face.

"After he didn't appear in the war, or in the time after we had hoped that he had lost control over the take over jutsu he used on Orochimaru. If Sakura is right, and she usually is, then we have a more serious problem than we suspected initially. I need to get moving to meet her. She has a head start and will be moving fast." Kakashi rose and Ibiki nodded.

"Make it clear to her that we no longer need a nameless shinobi under cover, we need the fox back." Ibiki stared at the back of Kakashi's head as he nodded.

"I fear that it won't be that simple to her," with that Kakashi shut the door behind himself.

**A/N: More fixing happening. Sorry if the whole 3.5 of you whole follow this story are getting false update notifications. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Notes have been moved to the end of the chapter cause spoilers. Read and enjoy.**

(In Suna, with Naruto and Sasuke)

They had made it to Suna, and Choji had immediately broken off from the pair to go see his girl. Gaara had welcomed the two to his village in his office, and after Naruto finished recounting his stories, with the occasional add on from Sasuke the Kazekage reached into a drawer on his desk.

"I have something I'm sure you two want to see. You've probably already seen Konoha's version but this is the report of the team I sent out to investigate Sakura's death," the Kazekage handed over the copies of the reports to the two men and leaned back in his chair. He had read that report a hundred times, and was still stumped about it. The death of an allied shinobi in his country would warrant a full investigation no matter what, but Sakura had been a bit more personal. Kankuro owed his life to the pink haired medic, and Gaara himself wouldn't be alive if the girl hadn't aided Chiyo in his rescue mission. On top of that Sakura was Naruto's teammate, one of his precious people, and anyone that Naruto considered precious, was added to the list of people Gaara cared about. It didn't help that the medic had endeared herself to him on her own.

The report wasn't much. The area that Sakura's team had been ambushed in wasn't anything special. The attackers had all been exceptional, each specializing in a different element, making dangerous combination attacks very real. Five men, wearing nothing to proclaim allegiance, had set upon the team in the early afternoon. Sai was the first to fall, knocked out by the earth user while covering Sakura to send the call for backup. The fight had continued on for some time until Kakashi had taken a critical hit by a water dragon charged with lightning. They speculated that Sakura had gone to his aid and that is when she was killed and four of the assailants had fled, leaving the fire user to fight Hinata. The fight hadn't progressed far before aid arrived from Konoha. The rescue team had been forced to take the three remaining members of team Sakura to medical aid before pursuing the attackers, and the trail had gone cold quickly.

"Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find any more on the group that attacked them. It's like they appeared to attack, then vanished just as quickly. There haven't been any other attacks in the allied nations that match the pattern," Gaara let a bit of his frustration bleed into his voice. Naruto looked up and set the report on the desk gently.

"Thank you for showing us that, and for looking for them," Sasuke spoke up setting his report on top of Naruto's. Gaara nodded slightly. Then the Kazekage unrolled a map on his desk, drawing a line from Suna to a popular stop on the way to Konoha for shinobi and merchants alike.

"That's the town that's closest to the attack site. When you do your own investigation, I'd suggest starting there," the faintest hint of a smirk lurked in Gaara's jade eyes. Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Sasuke just nodded.

Gaara stood up and turned his back to the two men, looking out over Suna. "I'll send a bird to your hokage explaining where you are, and where to find you. Now go, you won't rest until you know for yourselves."

"Thanks Gaara!" Naruto was up and out of the office in a whirl, Sasuke hesitated slightly and when Gaara turned over his shoulder to look at him, the last Uchiha bent slightly at the waist. A bow of gratitude and respect. Gaara inclined his head in return, and internally marveled again at the miracles Naruto could work on a person when given the time.

(With Kakashi)

He had ran nonstop to reach the town, and as much as he wanted to search for Sakura, to the point where dismantling the town with his bare hands appealed, he knew she would come to him. So he wandered the streets, went to a few bars, and booked a room at the inn she had mentioned in passing years ago. Finally the bars closed down, and he was forced to his room to avoid angering the local law with curfew violations. He paced his room, knowing logically that he would arrive before her, he was rested, and had traveled most of his journey in friendly lands, where she was coming fresh from the field, coming through much more hostile lands, all in the guise of a rogue shinobi. Logic did nothing to ease the worry gnawing at his stomach. Irritated with himself he sat down on the floor, and made an attempt to meditate until the sun rose again.

The next day Kakashi wandered the market place, spoke to the towns people and travelers alike, asking them of their travels on the roads. It was unlikely that Sakura used the roads until she neared the town, where appearing from nowhere would raise more eyebrows than the isolation was worth. The day wore on, and strangely Kakashi relaxed a bit. He was acting like Sakura was a genin that had wandered off on her first mission. She would show up. Internally berating himself he went to the bar closest to his inn, sat down in the corner where he could keep an eye on the door and the room at once. Ordering a sake he resigned himself to the wait.

(Sakura)

When the sight of the town I had told Kakashi to meet me at breached the horizon I nearly cried. Days and days of running condensed into a three day trip, circling back on my trail to see if I was being followed, avoiding any settlements at all. In the back of my mind I knew that I was being hyper alert and paranoid to the extreme, but I couldn't contain myself. Rummaging in my bag I pulled out the plain black konoha headband I had picked up before I started the mission. I tied the konoha symbol level with my kunai holster on the other thigh. Cover story already in mind, the genjutsu made me resemble a medic I knew from the hospital, and with a bit of luck on my side I'd be able to pull it off. Her name was Sakiko, close enough to mine to ensure I'd remember to respond.

Slowing my pace slightly, taking it down from the breakneck pace I had held was a tactical move. I needed to not gather much attention as I came up to the town. Strength flagging again, I regretted using my last soldier pill the night before. Just before I hit the town I slowed to a walk, checking in with the gate guard just ahead of a large merchant wagon and family. They waved me through without a second look, and stepping into the town I had to ask myself. Where to find Kakashi?

(Kakashi, in the bar)

He had just come back from the restroom, noting the lack of windows, when the local crowd started drifting in. People gathered in pairs and groups near the bar and at the various tables. Lifting his hand to flag down the bartender, instead the man brought over a shot glass filled with something distinctly pink. Kakashi stared down at the offending drink for a minute before he had to ask.

"What the hell is that?"

The barkeep rumbled out a laugh, his kind weathered face crinkling up. "I told the lady a man would never take a shot like that, but she insisted I bring it to you. It's called a cherry bomb."

The planet halted on its axis for a minute, and as the bartender wandered over to his other patrons, Kakashi spun on his stool intending to search the bar. Instead someone settled on the stool next to him, and the planet resumed its spinning in double time. Black hair in a high ponytail, then braided. Gold eyes with the slightest hint of green at the pupils. Sakura grinned at him.

"Didn't like my shot, Kaka-sensei?"

Even though she had kept in contact via Pakkun over the past two years, seeing her sitting in the bar next to him dissolved the cold knot of worry that had lived in his gut ever since she had left. Her hair and eyes were the wrong color, she was much too thin, and weariness hung over her like a cloud, but under all that, she was still Sakura.

Clearing his throat and regaining his equilibrium Kakashi just shook his head at the shot. On one hand the color and name of the drink made him want to smile, but on the other it broke his heart, because right now Sakura wasn't that pink and sweet. She was dark and bitter. For the first time, the consequences of sending Sakura on that mission were sitting in front of him, and pain and guilt rose like twin dragons in his gut.

"I have a room at the hotel nearby, we can talk there." Sakura simply nodded at him then began tapping her fingers on the bar. It was an old ANBU trick, morse code. Her tapping was as clear to Kakashi as if she was shouting in his ear, and just as painful. She was resorting to ANBU tactics automatically.

_Using name and cover of Sakiko, hospital medic in K. _

So she had a cover worked out already, the name didn't register with Kakashi, but that wasn't a surprise. He abhorred the hospital, and blocked his time spent there out. Kakashi just picked the shot up and took it in the split second he had his mask down and back up. It was as sugary sweet as he feared and the idea of that residue in the cloth covering was repugnant. It was his way of acknowledging that he had got her message.

The sweet cherry syrup was still lingering in his mouth when the world stopped for the second time in under two minutes.

"Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing here?" Staring over Sakura's suddenly tense shoulder, Kakashi forced an eye crinkle at the exuberant blond man bounding through the bar in his direction, a dark haired shadow trailing in his wake. A quietly muttered curse from the figure next to him summed up the situation so accurately it hurt.

(Sakura)

"Shit," I hissed out between my teeth. An explosion of emotion ramped up in my body. Fear, distrust, pain, resentment, and other myriad dark feelings rampaged behind my sternum. Had Kakashi set me up? Was this a trap? Was this my punishment for not returning to Konoha as Ibiki had ordered? Allegations and paranoia whirled into a storm of dark energy. I met Kakashi's one dark eye. Reading the slight panic, and guilt. It was enough to solidify what I had suspected. I couldn't even trust him. I had to get out.

Tensing even further on my stool I stared into the dark eye of my ex-teacher and mouthed the words at him. "_I thought you were above ambushing a comrade." _Kakashi visibly flinched back just as my ex-teammates arrived on the scene. I was off my chair, dodging the darker of the pair, and breaking for the door with shinobi speed. Fading into the distance as I left and leaped onto a rooftop was Kakashi's desperate cry.

"NO! Wait!"

No more waiting. Bounding rooftop to rooftop I was at the town limits in no time. Darting into the desert over hard packed sand, I made my escape.

(Hours later)

I had ran, as far as I could, before the adrenaline wore off and I was forced to collapse in the shadow of an outcropping. Shaking with exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition it was a miracle I had made it this far. I was overheated and panting with fear. My entire system was still flooded with numbing terror. Even as a panic attack threatened to set in, my inner made an unexpected return.

**Get a grip. **I flinched and scoured the desert for the source of the voice.

**Stop acting like a frightened rabbit and look at this logically. **I froze, surprise at the inner persona's return after all this time. I hadn't heard from my second personality since before I donned the mask.

**Are you sure Kakashi set you up? I'm not. He was surprised to see Naruto and Sasuke. **I hissed aloud at the mention of their names, and the inner scoffed. **You hadn't forgotten their names have you? Look at what happened again. See what is underneath the underneath. **

With the Kakashi quote my inner fell silent once more. Think about it logically? How? Emotions were still clouding my thoughts, casting shadows on everything. Slipping into the Fox persona was my only option. Closing my eyes, I reached deep into myself, finding that calm killer, and slipping into it. Emotions were shoved into a corner and boxed up. Bare facts were laid out.

One. Kakashi hadn't set the place for the meet. He had let me find him. He wouldn't of been able to coordinate the pair's arrival ahead of time.

Two. His surprise and trepidation when Naruto called out to him. He wasn't expecting them. He was worried at my potential reactions.

Three. Both Naruto and Sasuke had ignored my presence. They hadn't spoken to me, or tried to prevent my leaving.

Forced to look at what had happened objectively, I could see how wrong I had it. And as the world began to fade in and out when I reopened my eyes, let me know just how costly that overreaction could of been. I could easily die out here.

I had shed the konoha headband in a dumpster on my way out of the town. I looked the part of a rogue once more. Panic welled at the edge of my consciousness once more, and I dug through my pack. Finding the scroll Kakashi had given me so long ago at the beginning of my mission, his words floated across time to me.

"_If you ever need me. Just spread a few drops of blood on the seal. It'll lead me straight to you. No matter what." _Running my finger over a sharp rock next to my leg I unrolled the scroll with one hand, swiping the bloody fingerprint over the seal. I could only hope Kakashi made it in time. All sound disappeared, and I fell back into the land of darkness and oblivion.

**A/N: I had to end it here, I'm sorry. The notes have been relegated to the end because I wanted to explain a few things that would have spoiled the chapter. First off, the way Sakura slips into her ANBU personality to look at the situation logically is something I've taken from personal experience. For those of you that have read my profile you know that I'm a soldier in the Army national guard, and I've found that going "soldier-mode" helps shove my emotions back and use logic when confronted by difficult situations. Secondly, Sakura has a pretty rough case of PTSD in this fic, she is paranoid, jumpy, and having problems separating reality from what is in her head. This will become more apparent as the story progresses. Finally, my characterization of Naruto and Sasuke in the story. Naruto is more like we see him at the end of the war in the magna, where Sasuke is in a much healthier place. But at this point in time they are both a little unstable, rocked by Sakura's death. This will show further on as well. There was really no point to this note section other than my attempt to clear up a the reasons behind a character's actions. And maybe because I like the sound of my own voice? Er, keyboard? In any case, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! I'd really like some feedback on this. **


	7. Chapter 7

(Kakashi, directly after Sakura ran out)

He sat there in a stupor. How could things have gone wrong so quickly. Her parting words were etched in his memory as firmly as if he had used the Sharingan to memorize them. Naruto and Sasuke were still standing in front of him, staring at him.

"Who was that, Kaka-sensei?" Naruto's voice startled the man into action.

"A contact of mine; she claimed to have information on the group that targeted Sakura. It's why I was in this town." A split second decision lead him to keep the lie alive.

Naruto groaned, "Then why did she run out of here like that?" He was spared answering by Sasuke cutting in.

"Because you came storming over here like an interrogation squad, yelling at the top of your lungs, dobe." Kakashi nodded confirmation with the Uchiha's words.

Naruto sighed, and Kakashi rose, motioning for them to follow him, "I'll share what I got from her back at the hotel, more private, and you can explain what you have found." The two fell in step behind him, and worry rose to clamp around his heart like a vise. Sakura was in the wind, and in no condition to be going anywhere. He knew that he wouldn't be able to shake those two for a long time, and couldn't risk going after her with them either with him or following behind. He just hoped that she wouldn't slip through his fingers again, permanently this time.

(Two hours later in the hotel, Naruto pov)

Naruto knew something was wrong, Kakashi-sensei hadn't payed attention while he and the teme had filled him in on what they had learned in town. Admittedly it wasn't much, seeings how they lacked a description of Sakura's killers, but the townspeople didn't couldn't recall many things out of the ordinary in the time frame of the ambush. In fact the only noteworthy thing was the merchant family that had mentioned seeing Kakashi's informant enter the town just ahead of them, exhausted and barely on her feet. A twinge of guilt hit the blond over the fact that she had run off because of him and Sasuke. If she ended up hurt or dead because they frightened her off, Naruto knew it would haunt him. He had been responsible for enough death.

They were in Kakashi's hotel room, Sasuke sitting in a chair flipped backwards to face the bed, his arms crossed and resting on the back of the chair. Kakashi was sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows braced on his knees, periodically running his hand through his unruly hair. Naruto was sitting on the floor next to the door leaning on the wall and forming the third point of their little triangle.

"Her name is Sakiko, but that's probably an alias. She was a shinobi from Iwa and fought during the most recent war. After the war, she went rogue, dissatisfied over the lack of action. However, she isn't part of the faction of rogues that want the peace dispelled, all she wants is to work. So I set up a contact with her about three years ago, after Sakura was killed in the rogue attack. She's been gathering information on other rogue groups since then." Kakashi sighed and ran his hand through his hair yet again.

"Has she found anything on Sakura's killers?" Sasuke's deep voice cut through the dim room easily. Kakashi shook his head, disappointment chasing grief over his visible face.

"She hadn't told me much this time, before she ran. Just that she was suspicious of a group in Grass," Kakashi turned his dark eye on his former students, "I'm going after her now. You two need to go to Grass; it's the next lead. I'll use Pakkun to contact you once I find Sakiko, and if she agrees, we will both meet you in Grass. Wait for my message before you do anything."

"But Kakashi, we can handle it," Naruto spoke up for the first time in a while, his blue eyes flashing fire.

"You need the information she has. If you just charge in without a plan or intel then you could ruin our only lead right now," Kakashi glared back at the orange clad shinobi. "Just wait for my signal. Then we will move in together."

"Hurry and find her Kakashi-sensei, she could be in trouble, those merchants said she was already exhausted," Naruto's clear blue eyes betrayed his worry for the rogue. Blue eyes that held guilt over her fate, showing that even though the face around the eyes had changed, the heart and personality within stayed. Even though he had only met her for a split second, the haunted look in her gold eyes had struck something within Naruto.

Kakashi rose, and moved to the door. "Let's get moving. I have to find my rogue, and you have to start moving to Grass." On his way through the door, Kakashi dropped a hand to Naruto's head and ruffled the blond spikes. Naruto gave his trademark grin, and was on his feet in a second.

"Come on teme, let's get moving!"

(Kakashi, outskirts of the town)

He had lost time talking with Naruto and Sasuke, letting Sakura slip further away. Rationally Kakashi knew that he had needed to take that time, to get those two off the trail, so he didn't lead them to Sakura, but that didn't ease the terror gripping his heart. He had circled the outskirts of the town, picking up a faint trail that lead north into the desert. So faint, that he had lost it not even a mile out. Reaching for the scroll to summon his ninken, hoping against hope, Kakashi's eye widened in surprise when Pakkun poofed into existence before the scroll was even in his hand.

"She activated the summons, she needs you, this way," the little pug was concise, and moving before he was even finished talking. Kakashi's body moved on auto pilot.

_She called for help? Maybe she realized that I didn't set her up. Maybe I can get there in time for once._

It took half an hour; even with the blood summons Sakura had activated, Pakkun had a rough time tracking her down. Finally cresting a dune, the weak light of the moon hit upon a figure, leaning against a large boulder in the bottom of a depression between dunes. Black hair in disarray, gold eyes hidden behind dark lids, Sakura was passed out cold, one hand crusted with dried blood on the scroll he had given to her so long ago.

"Sakura…" Kakashi landed next to her and gently cradled her face in his palm, noting the pale sweaty skin, and the way her skin was drawn tightly over her facial bones.

"Get the girlie to some help," Pakkun's gruff voice broke into Kakashi's shock, "take her to Suna, I'll meet the two idiots and keep them from doing something dumb." Pakkun turned to leave, then turned his head back and gently licked Sakura's limp hand, clearing the blood from her ripped finger. With that the little pug took off into the desert.

Kakashi smiled inwardly at his summons antics, it seemed that even the pug had grown attached to his old student. He gathered Sakura into his arms, noting again how light she had gotten. Feeling her heartbeat faint and fluttering against his hands, Kakashi leapt into the desert, hoping that the Kazekage would be feeling hospitable.

(Gaara, at the gates of Suna)

"We spotted them about ten minutes ago Kazekage-sama, two shinobi, but the one appears to be carrying the other." The Kazekage nodded and dismissed the chuunin back to his guard station. The pair was approaching Suna at a fast pace, they would be at the gates in a minute. Gaara disappeared in a whirl of sand, reappearing on the ground ahead of the gates. The figures bleached by moonlight grew closer, and the sand on Gaara's back began to spill out in the air around him.

The figures came to a halt, as the sand eddying around the Kazekage froze in space. The lone eye of Hatake Kakashi gazed at Gaara pleadingly.

"Help us. Please. Please….Gaara." Kakashi's voice was hoarse and broken, in a different man Gaara would assume he had been either crying or holding back tears for hours.

"I can't let you enter with a rogue shinobi Hatake-san. You should know that." The panic and grief that broke across Kakashi's face was clear even under the mask.

"She's not a rogue…. She's-" Kakashi grew determined, steel in his gaze as his hand slipped under the back of her shirt and his chakra flared "She's Haruno Sakura. And she's dying."

Gaara stepped back, the jolt of chakra to her system causing golden eyes to snap open even as emerald bled out from the ring around her pupils, black hair twisting in the wind lightened, pink sweeping down from the crown of her head to the ends fluttering against the night. Pale, thin, and battle scarred on the edge of death, even under the cover of night, it was still indisputably Haruno Sakura.

"Take her to the hospital, then you damn well better be prepared to explain this, Hatake." Kakashi's head bowed in thanks, and he broke into a sprint that pushed his battered strength to the edge.

(The Kazekage tower)

"You think it was who? Kankuro that is insane. She's dead. She's been dead for years." Temari snapped at her brother even as she rushed to Gaara's office.

"Temari, how many people have you met with pink hair? Besides, Kakashi said it was her, he said her name," Kankuro adjusted the puppet on his back, coming to a stop after his sister outside of the Kazekage's door.

"Kazekage-sama, I'm uncomfortable discussing this, you have to understand that this whole situation is incredibly delicate," Hatake Kakashi's voice came muffled through the door. Sharing a glance the older two sand siblings shooed everyone out of the reception area, and pushed their ears against the door.

"Hatake, you showed up in the dead of night at my gates with a nearly dead shinobi in your hands. A shinobi that was supposedly killed on my lands, a shinobi that saved my brother's life, was my best friends teammate, and someone I consider one of my admittedly few friends. I demand an explanation, or I will hold you and her here, contact your Hokage until I get one." Kankuro and Temari stared at each other blankly, Gaara's voice was full of emotion a rarity itself, added to that he was pulling rank on Kakashi and threatening him in the same breath.

There was a beat of silence which had the siblings straining their ears before a deep sigh came through the door.

"As you are aware, the peace that was forged after the war has been under some outside strain in the past five years. The alliance is fragile, and the Hokage was concerned that it would soon break. However a caveat to this alliance prevented an official investigation by any of the villages. A rogue shinobi would be able to investigate at will though. Morino Ibiki the commander of the leaf ANBU division made a call, to determine the root of the outside influence without violating the treaty itself. Haruno Sakura's death was faked, by myself and the other team members that day. There was no rogue group after the bounty on her, all of our injuries were self inflicted, kage bunshins and other methods. Sakura accepted the responsibility of going in deep cover to find out what was going on. A faction of the Grass village is lead by Kabuto, I don't know what he is planning, or why. All I know is that Sakura has been undercover for three years, and she isn't who she used to be. When I finally met up with her, Naruto and Sasuke stumbled upon us and she panicked. Ran away. It took me hours to find her, and when I did she was in the state I brought her to you. Kazekage-sama…. Gaara. Even Tsunade doesn't know that Sakura is still alive. Sakura gave up everything to protect the alliance and her village. Please, keep her secret. Let her be the one that sheds light on all of this. I'm already afraid that she is too far gone to come back, but forcing her will only end in blood." Kakashi's voice was broken, his words hitched at the end of his little speech. Silence fell.

Temari's eyes were glittering suspiciously even in the dim lighting. The fan wielder had worked with Sakura over time, and had been fond of the pink haired girl, her death had hit hard. But the idea that Sakura had given that much not only for her village but for the good of the shinobi world, had Temari nearly crying out at the injustice of the world.

"Thank you for your honesty Kakashi. Our best medics are with Sakura now, she'll be fine. As for your request… Sakura's presence here and her activities will remain secret. Myself, and all of my shinobi will keep her secret." Kakashi's murmured thanks was drowned out by tendrils of sand wrapping around Kankuro and Temari's wrists as a silent reminder to keep their eavesdropping to themselves.

(Suna hospital, twenty-four hours later)

The medics had worked on Sakura for a couple hours, and after Kakashi had returned from his meeting with Gaara, he had been by her side ever since. The medics had assured him that after some rest, Sakura would be just fine.

The moonlight streaming through the window shone off of Sakura's pink hair, casting shadows on the hollows under her cheekbones. Kakashi sighed and leaned forward to sweep a piece of hair from her forehead when a pale hand reached up suddenly grabbing his wrist.

(Sakura pov)

I came awake all in a rush, one second there was nothing, the next second I was grabbing the hand that touched my forehead on reflex. Several things registered at once, the antiseptic smell long ago associated with hospitals, the way my entire body didn't ache, and the faint smell of forests, campfire smoke, and blood that was Kakashi.

"Easy, it's just me," Kakashi's voice was rough, and when I finally forced my eyes open, his appearance was haggard. His hair was wilder than usual, like his hands had run through it frequently.

"Where are we?" My voice was raspy, and my throat was dry. Kakashi handed me a cup of water before answering.

"Don't freak out. Just listen to me before you freak out," I sipped my water then glared at Kakashi.

"I think I've over reacted and freaked out on you enough for a while," Kakashi cracked a grin, and I responded with a shadow of my old smile.

"When I found you, Suna was the best bet to save your life," Kakashi paused and I gestured with the cup for him to go on, "unfortunately the Kazekage wasn't going to let me into his village with a rogue in my arms. I had to dispel the genjutsu."

"How much does Gaara know?" I waited for the irrational anger and fear to rise again. Waited for the paranoia to come crushing down. Instead all I felt was relief. Relief that I was myself again, and that I was rising from the dead. Made a mental note to ask just when Kakashi had been shown how to dispel that particular genjutsu.

"Everything. I told him everything. But more importantly, Sasuke and Naruto are headed to Grass right now. They could probably use a hand. If you really are not going to freak out," Kakashi eye crinkled at me, even as I tossed the paper cup at his face.

"No promises, but I'll try to keep the freak outs to a minimum." This time the smile felt a little more natural.

**A/N: don't mind me just filling in a massive plot hole here. updated not new chapter **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This chapter fought me tooth and fucking nail and I'm not happy with it at all. But there was a total lack of feedback on the previous chapter aside from favorites and follows so I'm going to assume (yeah I know it'll make an ass of you and me) that the last chapter didn't totally suck. So I present to you a slightly shorter chapter that basically came from me smashing my face on the keyboard in sheer frustration for hours at a time. Enjoy? Review it if you want. **

(In Grass, Naruto and Sasuke)

Three days had passed since the pair had left Suna. Pakkun had caught up with them on the second day, only offering a gruff confirmation that Kakashi had found Sakiko. Now the two men and the pug were camped out in a small clearing just inside the Grass border waiting for Kakashi to send a message. Needless to say the inactivity was driving Naruto crazy, and Sasuke just slightly less so. Naruto was making yet another lap around the impromptu campsite, when Pakkun froze, small eyes glazing over, before the pug sneezed out a laugh his wrinkled muzzle crumpling up like a discarded tissue.

"What is it?" Sasuke's baritone came out a few degrees south of cold and clipped at the edges, tension rippling in every word.

"We have a destination. Kakashi and Sakiko are going to meet us. They'll brief you there and all of you will move out together." Pakkun's dark eyes watched as the two sprang into action, gathering up their gear and tearing down the campsite with the ease of two people who have spent many days together. When the area showed no signs of recent habitation, the company consisting of two men and a tiny dog leaped into the trees.

(Sakura and Kakashi, at the meeting point)

Something was off. Thanks to the healers in Suna, and my body's built up resistance to abuse, I was back as close to one hundred percent as I had been since I went rogue. Even so, Naruto and Sasuke were closer to the meet point, and better rested. There was no logical reason for Kakashi and I to have beat them here.

"Kakashi. This is bad." Kakashi's silver hair bobbed in my peripheral vision as he nodded. Even though I had spent days traveling with him, seeing my old sensei untouched by time and looking like he had just finished tying a pint sized Naruto to a training post was both moderately warming and faintly disturbing; the man clearly didn't age. On the other hand, my own appearance was still giving me the heebs. After searching through the cold and dark place that used to house my soul, having a borderline knock down drag out with aforementioned old man, and ten minutes trying to reach that damnable seal on my back, I had come to grips with going full Lazarus. At least, partially. I was roaming the countryside as the pink-haired, green-eyed menace of Konoha once more. Wearing the same mesh tank top, this time with red chest bindings, black shinobi pants, knee high black boots, and the ANBU trench coat, I looked very much like a Konoha jounin. With hair that was a deeply unsettling shade of pink after years of black pulled up into a high braid, and blazing green eyes, I was Haruno Sakura again and not sure how the hell to feel about it.

"I haven't gotten a message from Pakkun, which could mean that they have regressed to their genin ways and are bickering their way here, that they got into something so deep that he isn't able to come, or lastly-and this is where I'm leaning-that they stumbled on Kabuto and his group. If that's the case, it could be that they are showing remarkable restraint and doing actual recon for once, and Pakkun hasn't returned to avoid giving them away." Kakashi was idly twirling a kunai in his fingers the whole time he spoke. I turned my head to meet his one-eyed gaze and gave him a smile that was all teeth and no warmth.

"Then call the rest of your pack. Let's hunt our boys down." It was a testament to Kakashi's unflappable nature that he simply eye-crinkled back at me and pulled a familiar scroll from his vest.

(Naruto and Sasuke)

As much as he hated the teme sometimes, Naruto could acknowledge when he was right. They might have been Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, but when faced with an enemy hundreds strong and lead by a snake as venomous as he was deadly, it was best not to go barreling in. That was what lead two of the most powerful shinobi in the five nations to lurking around and spying on Kabuto's base camp.

Neither was naive enough to believe that Kabuto didn't know that someone was watching him, they just hoped that he didn't know who yet. If that element of surprise stayed with them, they might make this situation work to their advantage. They had pulled back, out of sight of the camp, hoping the absence of observers would spark activity from the rogue group.

Sasuke was still reeling internally from the shock that had seized his whole body when he had looked down on the enemy camp and seen Kabuto giving orders. It had been like a chidori to the skull, numbing his whole body, before rage erupted hot in his gut. He was sure that in some way, Kabuto was the one behind Sakura's death. Grief and the desire for revenge had nearly sent him into the clearing below, chakra blazing. It had taken a small paw nudging his cheek from Pakkun's perch on his shoulder that brought a moment of clarity and reason. The pug's face was serious, dark eyes clearing conveying a message. _Wait for Kakashi. _It rankled to be sitting there like a genin waiting for his old sensei before acting, but it also made sense. With Kakashi and the rogue whose name Sasuke didn't bother to remember, it would be four of them attacking. And while those odds were still heavily weighted against them numerically, they stood a real chance of victory. The Uchiha's eyes were narrowed; logically he knew that as soon as he and Naruto didn't show up within a reasonable window of time, Kakashi would be on their trail. As Pakkun vanished in a puff of smoke and a kunai thudded dully into the ground at his feet, Sasuke hoped that for once Kakashi would be on time.

(Sakura)

Once Pakkun had reappeared looking frantic in the midst of Kakashi's other summons, we had dropped all pretense of stealth and began charging straight in the direction Pakkun pointed. I could feel Kakashi's chakra pushing and pulling at the edge of my senses, so I released the hold on my own. When a single dark eye turned to stare at me blankly I grinned. Kakashi hadn't worked with me much since I made ANBU, and even less since I became a hunter-nin. And it wasn't as if I had been picnicking while I was gone. Up ahead two familiar chakra signatures blazed in a sea of unknowns. Naruto and Sasuke were surrounded by over fifty rogues. I hissed out a breath in annoyance before inspiration struck.

"Kakashi, go meet with the boys, and I'll swing around from the other side," I spoke over his protest, "I'll let my alter ego lead the way, and if they've been reading their bingo books, maybe that will cause a disruption." Kakashi nodded once before bounding towards the thick of the battle, the crash of steel on steel ringing faintly, his summons following faithfully minus one.

I pulled a head scarf similar to Genma's from my pack, bundling my braid at the back of my skull before wrapped the scarf tightly, tying the knot off to the side. Pakkun's sneezing laugh brought a smile to my face before I did something that I hadn't in years. The pink fox mask descended over my grin, and like a puzzle piece locking into place, one of the most feared hunter-nin from Konoha returned to life.

(Naruto)

He and the teme were back to back in a sea of unfriendly headbands. Working in perfect teamwork they were fighting through, but even being Naruto and Sasuke, the seventy or so ninja trying to kill them was a bit much. Naruto blocked a mist-nin's strike from above as Sasuke lunged under his arm, driving his katana deep into the man's chest. A twist and snap followed and the man fell in a heap to the ground. Minor cuts and bruises littered their bodies. It wasn't just a case of being out numbered; some of their enemies weren't complete pushovers. Those ninja were darting in periodically among their lesser peers, striking then merging back into the sea of bodies. Naruto had been avoiding calling on Kurama's chakra, as he had been the past years, trying to better himself, but a sinking sensation told him this fight would probably require a fox's helping paw.

When one was as dismal at sensing chakra as Naruto was when he wasn't in sage mode, you learn to identify your teammates by other means. So when a chidori's scream rent the air, the deeper tone told him it was Kakashi's. Sasuke's chidori screamed at an octave so high it was painful, while Kakashi's was a pitch lower but more concentrated. Like a tidal wave of killer intent. At the same time screams lit off from the other side of the mass of shinobi. Chakra that even Naruto could pick up on, feeling familiar yet unrecognizably different, was wreaking havoc. Confusion was a new ally in the fight. Shinobi were splitting off into groups to face the new attackers. Even as he accepted that maybe Kurama wouldn't need to participate in this fight, a terrified scream rose over the clamor of battle.

"The Fox! The Fox is here! Run-" What ever that man planned to say died in a wet gurgle. Kakashi stood in front of Sasuke and Naruto, his eye crinkled slightly, a bloody kunai in each hand.

"Nice of you to show up." Sasuke's voice was bored, but the hint of a question lingered. The shinobi around them had faltered at the man's cry of 'Fox', drawing back slightly. A few had even tried to run before falling dead at the edge of the clearing.

"Pay attention, teme," Naruto blocked an incoming rain of senbon with a twirl of his kunai. More and more of the inferior shinobi were falling back, leaving a group of ten standing forward to face them. Between that group and the three Konoha nin was a figure.

Crouching low, her hair pulled tightly under a scarf, cloak fluttering around her shoulders was a ninja. Naruto could just see the edge of a porcelain mask from where he stood, since her whole body was angled slightly towards the group of men, all wearing Sound headbands. One man stepped forward slightly and inclined his head to the woman.

"We should be honored I think, to find the Pink Fox herself on our battlefield." Her reply was a sardonic snort.

Naruto's brain felt like it was working over time. Why was that girl called the Pink Fox, and why had her appearance changed the battle dynamic so drastically. He turned a questioning gaze on Kakashi. Why had he brought this person, when he was supposed to show up with Sakiko? Where was the rogue? The only answer he got was an innocent-looking eye crinkle which raised his suspicions higher.

"It is an honor that you will have the chance to die by my hand, and to know that your subordinates will be slaughtered by my comrades," the female rose to her full height as she spoke, and Naruto had a passing thought that she wouldn't even reach his chin. All further musings were wiped away by the sight of her mask as she turned to nod at him and the two men flanking him. A grinning fox, three pink whiskers on each cheek. It was a parody of his own scars, a mark of his status as jinchuuriki. The shade of pink made his heart ache, compounding the pain already there. The rest of the exchange between the two was muffled by the blood pounding in his ears. Some Konoha ANBU had made a mask that clearly resembled him, but had used Sakura's hair color as inspiration for the whiskers. Pain and a strange anger rose in his chest, involuntarily releasing a whisper of Kurama's chakra into his system.

"Who the hell are you?!" Naruto's shout carried across the field, the conflicting emotions in his heart sounding clearly. Sasuke's lean frame was radiating tension, and had been since the mask came into view, his katana angling slightly towards the mystery figure. On the other side Kakashi was calm, so calm the absence of emotion becoming so great it created its own tension.

The cloaked shoulders dropped slightly, and that was all it took. The Sound shinobi she had been speaking to blurred out of sight, and reappeared, kunai glinting in hand. The girl moved so quickly that even Sasuke, his sharingan shining red blinked in surprise. One second the kunai was poised to drive into her temple the next her scarf was flying away in the breeze. The world froze. Free from its binds a long braid tumbled down her back, even as her hand came up to catch the mask which had been freed from its ties by the same strike. Rays of sunlight striking down in the clearing shone against vibrant pink hair, so bright it seemed unreal. Eyes the color and warmth of a mountain glacier glared out. So green and so cold. A face that was so deeply ingrained in Naruto's memory he saw it when he blinked. Sharper, full of angles and pain, but the same slanting cheekbones, straight nose, and full lips. Haruno Sakura used the hand not holding the mask to mold chakra, and as the Sound shinobi tried to recover, the punch she threw caved his chest in. Blood and bone erupting in a fountain of gore.

There was a beat of silence, that stretched on and on. The remaining thirty rouge ninja broke ranks and fled, no doubt to report back to Kabuto just who had returned to life. Slowly, ever so slowly, green eyes turned and met startled blood red and sky blue.

(Sakura)

Inwardly I cursed myself for allowing that damned Sound rat the chance to strike. It had cost me less than my life, but more than I was ready for yet. I looked at Kakashi first, his visible eye not giving much away. But his posture and stance all showed relief. He was glad that my identity was out in the open. There was also tension; he seemed to be anticipating Naruto and Sasuke's reaction as much as I was. Sasuke was next. His pale, aristocratic features open and unguarded for once. Even as the sharingan whirled madly to see through whatever illusion he was expecting, his expression remained startled. Shocked and an emotion I hadn't seen or felt in so long it took a second to recognize. Gratitude. For some reason, Sasuke was grateful to see me alive. I filed that mystery away to solve later. Lastly I met the eyes that I knew would cause me the most pain.

Sky blue eyes filled with so much emotion I didn't know where to start. Pain, grief, anger, hope, and the same emotion that had baffled me earlier. Gratitude again. Why were they grateful to see me alive? Why did they even care? They had left me, damnit. Anger rose up in my heart. They didn't have the right to be anything but ambivalent at my return. I didn't know how to react to their open display of emotion. How the fuck was I supposed to react? Anger seemed to be the only thing I felt clearly, so I led with that.

"What the hell are you staring at?" All three men flinched at my tone. "We need to get the fuck out of here before they come back with all of their friends. We need to report to the Hokage." With that I launched myself into the trees aware that once we camped for the night there would be a long and drawn-out discussion that I wasn't looking forward to at all.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Wow hey guys, I know its been a disgustingly long time since my last update. That's what happens when you move cities. Never again. In any case I also struggled with this chapter, it's a bit shorter than I would have liked. It didn't want to be written, but the next one will be much easier. Read, enjoy, and review.**

We had run for hours. The gloomy jungles of grass country slowly fading into the warm forest of fire country. The three chakra signatures behind me had been subdued, but the minute we were back in what they considered home territory they unleashed them. Kakashi's signature was jittery, like he was worried about the upcoming discussion. Sasuke's was blazing, fury and confusion making his chakra roar and flicker. Naruto's was as oppressive as ever, but strangely placid, it was entirely too calm.

When we were miles deep into fire country, and the moon was high in the sky I finally came to a stop in a patch of nothing special trees. Three quiet thumps signaled my old teammates dropping to the ground next to me. Five years had made all the difference in Naruto, he hadn't once tried to speak on the way here. We were all strangers with familiar faces.

"We'll camp here, get it all set up and then we will talk," my voice sounded cold and detached even in my ears. There was a beat of silence then instinct made me drop to the ground under a fierce kick. A kunai leapt into my hand almost of its own will. "The fuck are you doing Uzumaki-san?" Blue eyes glared into mine.

"You're not Sakura. You're just a shitty ANBU wearing her face and mask trying to get a reaction out of us," Naruto wasn't shouting, instead his voice dropped low and he snarled. Sasuke had moved next to him and slightly behind, ready to support his blond haired friend. Kakashi was back away from all three of us, dark eye watching carefully.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, but you're right, I'm not the Sakura you used to know. The Sakura that you abandoned _again._ That Sakura is long gone." I snapped back at Naruto, and the part of me that lived for interrogations cackled in mad glee as Naruto and Sasuke flinched.

"We didn't abandon you!" Naruto's blue eyes welled up, but rage and pain flooded my mind.

"THAT'S ALL YOU'VE EVER DONE!", I was aware that my voice went raw with pain but I pushed on, " I have always been the last priority of this team! I have always been left behind because you saw me as too weak to be of consequence! So no Naruto, I'm not your Sakura, the little girl you always get to leave behind, the teammate that didn't matter. I'm better than that now, I've suffered and bled and swam through oceans of blood, and all of this alone. Because while I may not be good enough for you or Sasuke, or even Kakashi to give a damn about, I'm good enough for other people. I matter to the village now, and I'm important." At the end of my speech my chest was rising and falling rapidly, Naruto had taken a step back as I had yelled at him. Shock and a gut wrenching pain making lines in his face. A brief flash of comprehension and dawning horror made Sasuke's pale face blanch to an unhealthy looking white. Kakashi was staring down at the ground, he knew that he had failed me when I was first on his team, but he had assumed that since the boys left he had made up some ground. He was wrong.

"Sakura you're being selfish," Sasuke stepped forward, reaching out with one hand.

"Don't you fucking dare Sasuke, don't you even dream of calling me selfish," kunai in hand I slashed at his outreaching hand.

"Sakura," Kakashi's voice was pleading, "don't do this now." I turned a venomous glare onto my old sensei.

The three males had varying looks of shock on their faces. I sighed heavily and flipped the kunai in my hand idly.

"Hatake-san is right, this isn't the time or place. I'm going to go ahead, you three follow behind and make sure that no one tries to get cute and follow you," I slashed my hand through the air when Naruto tried to interrupt to object, "as an ANBU captain I have the rank and authority to make this decision, now as sannin you can technically choose to ignore my advice and do whatever you want as you so often do, but know that I will be sure to include in my report to the Hokage exactly how uncooperative you are." I glared at Naruto and Sasuke in turn, making sure my point was clear. "Either way I will be going on alone." Kakashi raked his hands through his silver hair and sighed deeply. Sasuke looked as if he was torn between trying to reason with me, or trying to chop my head from my shoulders. Naruto looked shell shocked, the true implications of leaving me behind all those years ago finally starting to sink in.

"I'll tell them to expect you back in the village in two days, don't be late." And with that I rewrapped the headscarf around my hair, and slipped the fox mask over my face. Jumping into the trees I told myself that the tears hidden behind the porcelain were born from frustration, not heartbreak.

(The boys p.o.v.)

Naruto stood there in silence and watched as Sakura disappeared into the trees. Even after she was long out of sight, he stood there and stared. Words from a long forgotten conversation with Jiraiya floated into his mind.

"_You have to remember that everything you do has a ripple effect. While you might not see it initially, something you have done out of the goodness in your heart can have a very negative reaction with the people around you. Don't make long term decisions rashly, or you'll pay the price in the long run."_

But that's exactly what Naruto had done, when Sasuke had confided his plan to ask the Hokage for permission to leave Konoha. The blond had seen it as another adventure, and a chance to help his best friend/brother heal. At the time he had told himself that his teammates would be fine. They had each other. Sakura had the hospital. Kakashi could go back into ANBU. Sai had even asked permission to help Iruka in the academy, hoping that studying young children would help him fill in the blanks that Danzo had created.

He couldn't have been more wrong. Kakashi was leaner than Naruto ever remembered him being, worry and stress had borne down on him since they left. His silver hair was longer and wilder, and the lone dark eye that was visible was unreadable, a pit of unfathomable dark emotion. Returning to ANBU full time had not been in Kakashi's best interest, but it was all he had left to do.

And then there was Sakura. The elation Naruto had experienced when she had turned to face him after killing that grass ninja had been one of the biggest highs of his life. But it wasn't until this recent confrontation in the middle of the forest did he realize exactly he deeply he had failed her. The person that had just yelled at him looked like Sakura. She had pink hair and beautiful green eyes. But her features were too sharp, her face was too thin making the lines of her face blade like. And when she yelled at him, it wasn't like it used to be. Her voice had taken on a horrible scraped raw tone, so full of pain and loneliness that it sounded like her throat was going to bleed. She didn't even move right. Before Sakura had been graceful, like all kunoichi, but now she moved with the lethal stealth of a predator. Like a true fox, stalking its prey. Lithe and powerful.

Naruto was brought out of his musings by a hand landing lightly on his shoulder. Kakashi offered him an eye crinkle, even though it was as fake as one of Sai's old smiles it warmed the blond's heart a bit. With one hand on Naruto's shoulder and the other on Sasuke's Kakashi gently guided them to sit down on a nearby log.

"You two should try to remember that Sakura has been out here on her own for two years, hunting and being hunted. She didn't have any help, and aside from sending her reports with Pakkun on a regular basis she didn't have any contact with anyone she knew or trusted. Living like that takes a toll. Right now Sakura is like broken glass wrapped in paper napkin, push her too hard and you'll get cut, drop her again and she'll break beyond repair." Kakashi paused and looked at his two old students. Sasuke's hand were fisted on top of his legs, knuckles white. His eyes carried a hint of blood red in them. Those were the only two outward signs of the serious emotional stress going on within the Uchiha. As always Naruto was easier to read. Kakashi could almost hear him blaming himself for what happened to Sakura. The regret, guilt, and just a bit of self loathing was a combination that was all too familiar to Kakashi.

"She's acting like she doesn't need you, or even want you around. But trust me, she needs you more than ever. The worst thing either of you could do is leave her alone." Once again Kakashi was speaking from experience. Naruto and Sasuke were staring at their old teacher almost suspiciously. "Listen, she'll never be the old Sakura. The Sakura you left behind really is dead, but her ghost is still in there somewhere. As long as you accept the new Sakura, pieces of the old one will come through. However, I'd suggest that you just focus on getting to know her again." Sasuke nodded once, the Uchiha was determined to have his team back together, and his team would always include Sakura, no matter how "broken" she was. A slight snort drew attention to Naruto. He was struggling to hold back laughter, and the bemused look on Sasuke's face didn't help. Finally the blond caved.

"If baa-chan threw her desk at _us, _I wonder what she is going to through at Sakura when she pops into her office," Naruto's brief moment of coherent speech passed in a fit of chuckles. The two normally stoic men exchanged a long look, before the small clearing echoed with fits of laughter in three different voices. And if the stress of the day and the pain they all felt added a hysterical edge to the laughter, no one mentioned it.

(Sakura, outskirts of Konoha)

I had stopped briefly to do a temporary henge to dye my hair black, and cover green irises with gold. I knew there would be ANBU circling the village, so I dropped to the forest floor, held my hands up in surrender and flared my chakra. Within seconds an ANBU team surrounded me. The captain stepped forward, and inwardly I groaned at the spiky black ponytail behind his mask. The lazy drawl that came next had my inner face palming so hard my eye twitched.

"You have one minute to explain your presence so close to Konoha or immediate action will be taken against you." I glared at Shikamaru, then tossed my hair arrogantly.

"I came to stand in the shade of Konoha's great tree, to see the cherry blossom gardens, and I've heard the best ramen in the world hides behind the gates." Shikamaru's entire frame went tense. Before I had "died", that had been our code phrase that Jiraiya's old spy network had used when reporting back to us on Naruto's movements. The only people that knew that phrase had been Shika and I, and a handful of spies.

"Well I'm afraid your sightseeing will have to wait, I'm sure my boss would very much like to talk to you," Shikamaru's voice had gone from lazy drawl, to sharp and full of command in a second. I sighed, knowing that Ibiki was going to chew my ass. As a rat mask fell in on my left, and some feline on the right, the gut wrenching terror I had felt about returning to Konoha before was absent, all I felt was a gnawing pain left over from the confrontation with team 7 in the forest.

(Ibiki)

There were days when Ibiki could completely understand why the Hokage hoarded sake in her office. Today was one of those. Paperwork piled on his desk, Sakura was in the wind, Kakashi had missed three check-in's, and there were reports that Naruto and Sasuke had been spotted heading into Grass country. A small part of his mind began planning a sake raid as a knock sounded at the door.

"Enter." Ibiki raised an eyebrow as Nara came into his office, slammed the door and ripped his mask from his face in a very uncharacteristic rush.

"My squad just captured a rogue nin outside of the village, and when asked for her purpose here she gave the passphrase Sakura came up with," Shikamaru took a deep breath then his dark eyes went ice cold, "Who is she?"

Ibiki allowed a grim smile to come over his face, his day was looking up after all. "Come with me, and I'll brief you."

(Konoha's main gate)

Izumo and Kotetsu had been gate guards for years, and as such they had seen some pretty interesting things come through the entrance. But today was going to top all previous records. Shikamaru's ANBU squad with a hostage that had been surrounded, but not restrained. Then three hours later all ANBU squads near by had been pulled back to the village, and set up in guard positions. But at the end of their twelve hour shift, as they briefed their replacements the biggest shock came. Hatake Kakashi came strolling through the gate, porn in one hand, waving a jaunty salute with the other. Behind him was Uchiha Sasuke walking next to Uzumaki Naruto. None of them looking as if they had just gone on a multination vendetta.

Izumo and Kotetsu had been gate guards for a very long time, and they could recognize the beginning of trouble when it walked in front of them all day long.


	10. Chapter 10

(Shika)

When Ibiki told him that he would be briefed, the Nara expected to be put in an observation room, watch the interrogation, and get a quick run down of that rogue's connection to Sakura. However, what he expected was not what he got.

Ibiki pulled him into the interrogation room, locked the door, and disabled the cameras and microphones.

"Drop it," Ibiki's tone was all wrong for an interrogation, Shikamaru mused, instead it came across much like the tone Ibiki used to scold ANBU captains who pushed themselves too far on a mission. Shika would know, he'd been on the receiving end of more than a few of those over the past five years. The rogue shrugged, her golden eyes gleaming a bit too brightly.

"Didn't realize you had brought Shika in on this Iki," her voice grated on Shikamaru's nerves, something about it familiar and foreign all at once. The pieces fell into place at the nickname she used. There was only one person in the world that Shikamaru knew that could get away with calling her superiors ridiculous pet names.

"Cut the shit, I am now," Ibiki snapped. She shrugged again and a slight shimmer of chakra later, golden eyes became emerald, and black hair faded down to blossom pink.

Haruno Sakura sent Shikamaru an apologetic smile, that cracked into a full blown grin when the Nara genius just sighed and muttered a single word.

"Troublesome."

Two hours passed as Sakura briefed Ibiki on what had recently gone down in grass. As she spoke Shikamaru began to understand that he hadn't been brought in on this "_interrogation" _just because he had been a friend of Sakura's. His mind was already churning over the information she presented, categorizing it and logging it all away.

Many people attributed Shika's brilliance to a photographic memory and high analytical skills, but in reality only one part of that equation fit. Shikamaru didn't have a photographic memory. In fact he couldn't remember what day of the week it was most of the time. What Shikamaru did have, was a mind palace. It was an idea that Sakura had come up with and helped him develop. A normal mind palace would occupy a room, or perhaps a house, created in a person's mind, where all information was stored. What made Shika's unique was that it wasn't anything as mundane as a house, or even the Nara clan's head mansion. No, being Shikamaru, his mind palace was Konoha. Information was sectioned off in areas of the village. Information was stored in duplicate or even triplicate as well, to better link it all together. Ino had used one of her family's techniques to "_see"_ his mind palace, and had spent the next day with a migraine for her troubles.

That was what made Shikamaru the tactician he was. The ability to know what was important and should be stored, and what shouldn't. His downfall was that as an ANBU captain, husband, teammate, advisor, and myriad other titles there was just a whole fucking lot of information that was important.

Sakura finished her recap then raised an eyebrow at the Nara standing in the corner.

"Shikamaru, is that really all you're going to do. I come back from the dead with information that Kabuto is planning an attack on Konoha and building a rogue army and you said 'Troublesome'?"

Shika sighed. _Female brains are nature's most convoluted creation. _

"I believe my wife will say all that needs to be said, if the Hokage doesn't." Shikamaru watched as his words dropped a shutter behind Sakura's face. The reminder that while she had been dead to the village, it certainly had lived on without her. Not only that, but that the emotions that others would feel when she revealed herself to the world would not all be positive. Sure Ino would be overjoyed to see her best friend alive, but she would also be furious. Furious that Sakura even took a mission like this. Hurt that Sakura had left her alone. Broken and betrayed and a thousand other dark emotions would erupt from his wife. And that was just one person in a village of thousands.

_When a person dies it's hardest on those left behind, so it only makes sense that coming back from the dead works just the opposite. _

(Sakura)

Shikamaru's cold attitude hurt. Hadn't I been hurt enough lately? I knew that Ibiki would be setting up a meeting with the Hokage soon and that was sure to end in a flood of tears and enough craters to make a Konoha water park. Shikamaru was one of the people I had planned on taking my return rather amicably.

I stared at the Nara for a brief moment then turned to face Ibiki. "I'd suggest that you set up the meeting with Hokage-sama far away from the actual village. Because this is going to be a fuck fest."

"Once you are reinstated, I'll expect you to drop the sass with your superiors Haruno," one side of Ibiki's mouth quirked up pulling at his scars in a familiar way.

"Yet another bossy woman," Shikamaru grumbled then stepped forward with his hand outstretched. Curious I reached out to him and blinked at the shogi piece he dropped in my palm. I flipped it over to stare at the king kanji inked on the back. "Defend the king Sakura. Welcome home."

I was home. Ibiki's crooked smile was home. Shikamaru's lazy attitude was home. The battered shogi piece I had given to Shikamaru before I "died" was home. I had given it to him after he explained the conversation about kings he had shared with Asuma. Konoha would always be my king, but I had a feeling that much like Asuma, Shika's feelings on the meaning of the kings had changed.

I smiled at Shika then pulled him into a back breaking hug. Shika grunted slightly then hugged me back tightly. The smell of the perfume Ino had worn since we were children made me chuckle.

"She'll be glad to have you back. Asuma needs a godmother," Shika smirked at me as he dropped another bomb. So Ino and Shika married, and had a son. The village had really moved on with out me. Reading a Nara's emotions was like trying to find the darkest piece of shade in the forest. It was confusing but with enough practice you could get close. He worried about what my return would bring, he was happy that I was back, and glad for Ino as well. So I did the only thing I figured would save us from a horrifically awkward moment.

I slapped him on the back of the head. "No chick flick moments."

"None here, but I'm sure you're about to face more than a few of them," Ibiki muttered. I sighed he was right.

"Lets do this thing Iki." A middle finger was all I got in return.

(Tsunade)

Some would claim that the fifth Hokage was too old to be having a midlife crisis. Those people would also find their knees broken and reset in the wrong direction. But that's irrelevant. A midlife crisis was the only term Tsunade could think of to describe the day she was having. She had been forced to read the latest hourly gate report three times, and it still made no sense. Ibiki had issued a mass recall of the ANBU units without so much as a reasonable explanation. The only reason she hadn't fought him on it was because one of the returning squads had reported sensing the remaining members of team seven approaching rapidly. To top it all off she had been sneezing non-stop for about three hours now. First over a statement to the council members. Twice into her sake cup creating a hell of a mess. Once into Shizune's _face_. And now directly onto the window looking out at the monument.

"That's horrifically unhygienic." Tsunade turned a glared at Ibiki who stared back placidly.

"Hokage-sama, we need to discuss our latest findings with you, perhaps away from the dust," Ibiki's tone was so neutral it was insulting. On a different day Tsunade would have been suspicious. But in the middle of her midlife crisis, getting out of the office sounded damn good.

Thirty minutes later Tsunade was very muchly out of her office. Not only that she was out of the village area, and in one of the ancient training grounds relegated to ANBU use only. Located at the very edges of Konoha's boundaries it was a place the elite ninja could cut loose and train without sending genin teams into years of therapy.

Which was all well and good but, "Why are we out here?" Ibiki just gave her a blank stare.

"Because there is less potential for collateral damage out here," a third voice answered her question.

Tsunade immediately froze. After all the bond between apprentice and master is strong. As is the one between shinobi and Hokage. The strongest of all was the bond of a mother who didn't give birth to a child but loved her all the same. When you share all of those bonds and more with a person, their voice is one you know better than your own. Between one second and the next she was there. No dynamic entry. No flair or drama. She just stood up from her perch in the shade of a boulder.

Somehow it was worse. The simplicity of Haruno fucking Sakura just standing up in the middle of a training area was what made it real.

_Midlife crisis my blonde ass._

"GET CLEAR!" Sakura's voice rang out and Ibiki immediately fled for cover. Tsunade slammed a chakra enhanced heel into the ground and it began.

(Ibiki)

Ibiki made a note to himself to have Tenzou come out to this area and fix it. It looked like a meteor shower had hit. The ground was a map of craters and gorges. Whole swathes of the forest had been felled and uprooted. Pink and blonde blurs darted through the wreckage, a chain or destruction mapping their progress.

Indistinct shouting drifted to the two shinobi standing in the trees. Given they were nearly half a mile away that was a feat. Tsunade's pained bellows demanding explanations. Sakura's defensive cries giving them. Ibiki shifted slightly.

"_She loves Sakura like a daughter. Imagine what she'll do to me for sending her on that mission," Ibiki mused to himself then smirked at the thought of Kakashi "or to you for keeping it secret all this time." _

Ibik shivered slightly and returned his gazes back to the cloud of dust. Or rather what had been a cloud of dust. A sudden calm fell on the area.

(Sakura)

I was out of shape to be playing dodge-fifty-foot-tree with Tsunade. It was a perishable skill apparently. However, the scrapes, bruises, and broken bones were worth it.

"Sakura."

"Hmm?" I was healing a rather nasty fracture in my left wrist.

"Your technique is sloppy," a hand batted mine away. I sighed in relief. "Also. Don't ever die on me again."

The simple sentence carried a lot of pain and stress, old wounds that I had torn back open. I leaned my head on her shoulder and sighed.

"I agree. But you'll forgive me once you get briefed on the situation in grass." The green glowing hands paused briefly before resuming their healing.

"You're already forgiven. Completing the mission is just icing on the cake Haruno."

Ibiki dropped onto the ground in front of us. _Coward_, snipped Inner surprising me again.

"While I'm glad you two have worked it out we have another problem", Ibiki nodded in the general direction of the gate. The direction where three very familiar chakra signatures had appeared.

"Fucking assholes," I snarled.

(The boys)

Kakashi waved his book at the gate guards and strutted in. Naruto beamed them a smile, and Sasuke pulled I'm-an-Uchiha-fuck-off-peasants routine. All three of the men noticed the way that Izumo and Kotetsu had stared at them in abject horror.

Until a slug the size of a horse popped into existence in the road. Then the crowd in the area stared at it and the three men.

"Your presence is requested at training area 56." Katsuyu poofed away, spattering them all with mildly corrosive acid. Naruto swore and started batting at himself. Kakashi and Sasuke reacted slightly more dignified. In simple terms swearing quieter.

"Where the hell even is area 56?" Kakashi eye crinkled at the chance to show his adorable little students something shiny and new.

Or not so shiny, as a few minutes later the male parts of team 7 took in the destruction fanning out in front of them.

"They had a discussion," Ibiki offered as an explanation, before leading them on a winding and twisting path towards the heart of the field. He explained as he barked at them to copy his movements, that Sakura and Tsunade had created a bit of a natural mine field with their fight. And that the ground was about as trustworthy as Orochimaru in a pre-school. (Sasuke twitched so explosively at that a five minute break was spent digging the Uchiha out of a small landslide.)

Fifteen minutes later the four men arrived in what Ibiki deemed the safe zone. Tsunade was sitting with her back leaning up against a boulder. Sakura was perched on top of the same boulder.

"Get comfortable all of you. Because this is going to be a long talk. Five years is a lot of time to cover so lets get into it. I'm only going through this once so make it count," Sakura's green eyes were nearly bleached white in the bright sunlight.

As always Naruto was the first. He sat down in front of Tsunade. Sakura slid down to sit on Tsunade's left. Ibiki sat next to Sakura, with Kakashi stepping into place between Ibiki and Naruto. Sasuke folded his frame into position between Naruto and Tsunade.

Once everyone had settled down Sakura looked up, making eye contact with each person in the circle.

"All of you know a piece of this story, so today I'll fill in the blanks. Well, as much as I can. Some things aren't meant to be spoken of." One more deep breath and Sakura began.

. **A/N: Notes are down here again because spoilers. First up, thank you to all my new favorites, follows, and reviews. As you can see it inspired a quicker update. Now I know there isn't a whole terrible lot that happens in this chapter, but next chapter we get a comprehensive look at Sakura's transition into the Pink Fox. This just set the stage for it. I have no real rational reason why Shikamaru appeared. He just kinda slid in. Also this is unedited so, sorry bout it. I know that I flaked out on having Sakura and Tsunade do a big reveal moment. But i already did that with the boys (and it was so cliche and cheesy it upset me on a **_**molecular level**_**). Then again with Shika. I didn't want to get redundant so I had them brawl and shout and behave like cavemen. Once again.. Apologies. Anyways, next chapter should be better. This one is worthy of compost and that's about it. (Dark humor slipped out a couple times up there too. Oops.) Until next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: There's a longer note at the end, but first THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT. **

(Sakura)

Staring at the faces turned to me expectantly, the urge to snap into Fox mode and relay my history like any other mission report was overwhelming. But that was a cop out. If I was going to do this, it would have to be without the detached fog of my ANBU personality.

_But you're not in here alone are you… _Sending a middle finger internally at Inner, I took a deep breath and began.

"This story starts at the end of another. At the end of team 7 to be exact. The day that you two left-" pointed glare at Naruto and Sasuke "was the day that team 7 ended. Permanently. After that, I was adrift. The war was over. Sasuke had returned-_ish _to the village. The goals that I had worked towards ever since I was a damn genin had been achieved almost simultaneously. My life became a huge question mark…"

(Flashback)

It had been a week since Naruto and Sasuke had left. As cliche as it seemed, they had taken all I had with them. I didn't have a purpose. Shizune had taken over at the hospital as the head doctor, Tsunade had declared my training finished, and Kakashi had disappeared back into the vague world of ANBU. I was sitting there, staring off into space on top of the fourth Hokage's stone head, when salvation appeared.

"Sakura-san," Hinata Hyuuga had lost her stutter somewhere during the war. Probably right around the first time she saw a familiar face with edo tensei eyes try to kill her. I blinked at her owlishly.

"Sakura-san, please put the kunai down," once more with the quietly assertive tone. I narrowed my eyes at her confused. _What fucking kunai? _Following her pearly gaze down to my hands I huffed in a breath in surprise. The blade in my right hand was covered in blood, that had obviously come from the myriad of slices on my left arm. The medic in me sighed at the depth and ragged edges of the cuts, those wouldn't heal well. The utterly broken person that I was now wondered apathetically if I could bleed out before Hinata healed me.

Coming out of my morbid thoughts, the tension in the air was palpable. What the fuck was her problem? _Kunai. Right. _

"Why?" To her credit Hinata didn't flinch at the rasp in my voice, or the dead look I'm sure was in my eyes.

"Because I'm going to start training, and I need you to get off your ass," in the time it took to blink the kunai was knocked out of my hands, a blood pill shoved in my mouth, and cool green healing chakra covering my arm. _Fucking Hyuuga, basically bred for speed. _

"Why don't you train with your team, instead of throwing a bone to the girl without one?" This question earned me a head slap and a glare.

"Because _asshole _I want to go out for ANBU, and if you're going to kill yourself at least do it in service of your village," Hinata stood up and stared me down. A tiny voice in the back of my mind, that sounded reckless and angry whispered, _why the fuck not?_

(Present)

I paused here for a second and held out my left arm, the sunlight catching on a spiderweb of old scars.

"Sakura-chan…" I looked at Naruto and a bitter smile etched itself onto my face.

"It gets worse and better in different ways from here. I trained with Hinata until we both dropped. She taught me more about the chakra system and how to manipulate it than I thought possible. Through her I trained with Kiba, even Shino briefly. And it helped. I had a reason to get out of bed. I was going to make ANBU for myself. Not to prove anything to anyone. It was the first time that I had a goal that was purely my own. And I made it. I spent two years as an operative before I followed in my teams footsteps and left the village."

(Flashback)

I woke up the morning after finishing my ANBU entrance trials sore in every way possible. My brain even fucking hurt. But there was a clarity to my sight that I had missed. Even when training the world had soft edges and blurred lines. Now I could see the hard planes, the sharp details, and a uprising of pride that ripped up my chest. I had made it. On my own merit. Kakashi had been on an extended mission when I put my name down for selection, and wasn't due back for weeks. I wasn't anybodies teammate, or child, or fucking prodigy. I was Haruno Sakura, and I made it.

Dragging my sorry ass out of bed was an exercise in caution. I had two hours to be at HQ to get my tattoo, a locker, and my first duty assignment.

The day passed quickly, in the buzz of a tattoo needle, the slamming of locker doors and female chatter in the locker rooms (Anko snapping my ass with a towel as she ran past ass naked.), then a sit down with Ibiki.

"Haruno, ANBU might be a blessing for you. Because if the results of your psych evaluation had come up for a regular active duty jounin, you'd never see the light of day again. But for you, it works. You've been assigned to a hunter-nin squad, and when you're not training with your squad or on a mission, you'll be with me. Learning the ins and outs of interrogation and torture, the difference between the two, and how to conduct information gathering in the field. You're fucked up Haruno, you've probably been so since you were a kid, but you've hid it well." Ibiki paused and his black eyes flashed in the light.

"We are all fucked up here. Welcome to the family."

(Present)

"I'm not going to get into details of my missions here. They're classified, and there's so much more to talk about. They are in the past, like so many other things I've touched on. The past should stay where it belongs."

I had been looking at mostly Ibiki and Kakashi through that bit. They both knew my career in ANBU was bloody and twisted. Tsunade's face had so much empathy on it I nearly choked. As Hokage she was painfully aware of what ANBU missions required, and she knew that she had been personally responsible for a majority of my missions.

Sasuke's face was a strange mix between empathy, guilt, and a wary look in the tense lines of his face. Sasuke wasn't afraid of me, I'm not sure his ego would handle that. But with each passing moment and revelation of what I had been up to in his absence was tearing a lot of his preconceived notions into shreds.

I looked at Naruto last, and even though it shouldn't have, the sight of complete acceptance in his eyes nearly broke me. Minor fights aside (the incident in the forest), Naruto had the ability to accept his friends completely. Sharp edges and dark shadows. Because of the way he suffered prejudice just by being the Kyuubi container, Naruto was the last person to pass judgement on someone he cared about.

"Two years in ANBU passes in the blink of an eye, but it stretches out in your memory like decades. I knew before Ibiki offered me the mission, that there was tension between the great nations again. Hindsight is 20/20 and now I can point at a single incident as the tipping point that forced our hand."

(Flashback)

The rogue ninja that was strapped to a metal chair in the center of an interrogation room wasn't anything special. Forgettable features, mediocre skills, in fact the only thing that made him important was an emotional connection. His genin teammate was high on the suspect list Shika and I had compiled in regards to the growing unrest. One of Jiraya's old contacts had passed along the rumor that the suspect maintained contact with his old teammates. Even employed them in his scheme's.

Behind the two way glass Ibiki and I stood staring at the oblivious man.

"Information at any cost, he doesn't leave that room with a heartbeat," Ibiki's voice was cold to the untrained ear. But I had spent two years with the man.

I grinned careful of the red lipstick on my lips, "Hai Iki-sensei."

I was dressed in a manner to make Ino proud. A weak willed man like my target now would be doubly affected by a beautiful woman carving pieces out of his skin and his soul. A flash of skin could tip the balance and loosen his tongue. Particularly if paired with a senbon jammed through an elbow joint.

The interrogation went by in a blur. Purred threats passing over my lips, blood and secrets over the man's. Gasping and choking around the handful of rock salt I had shoved into his mouth, he confirmed that yes, someone was assembling rogue and missing nin. The light over the door flashed once signaling that Ibiki was satisfied with the information. Cleared to eliminate.

In a last spurt of defiance the man spit blood onto my face. A surge of irritation boiled in my chest. I stood next to him, placed my hand on top of his head, a controlled burst of chakra ran down his body, liquefying his nerves, a quick but painful death.

(Present)

"Not even a month after that Ibiki offered me the mission. My death was faked, and the hunt was on. Eventually I ended up in Grass. With the help of a foreign undercover agent I infiltrated and destroyed one of the rebel bases."

Ibiki was glaring daggers at me. "You just decided to get all buddy buddy with someone you didn't know? What if you had been compromised? Trapped? Interrogated? Killed? I thought you were past the damn rebellious phase."

"Fuck off. I saw an opportunity and I took it. It worked out in the end. Anyways, after Isamu cleared out, I hung back. Observed Kabuto acting like a Queen in that rebel shit storm."

Clearing my throat self consciously, and so very very aware of everything I had left out or glossed over I stood up.

"Kakashi, or one of the two boys can explain from there on out," ignoring the protests forming I flash stepped far away from that ruined training ground.

The cot in the corner of Ibiki's office was right where I remembered it. For the first time in years, when I layed down to sleep, I relaxed.

_Home._

The smell of coffee woke me up. Cracking an eye at Ibiki I raised an eyebrow. He was sitting at his desk flipping through paperwork lazily.

"Coffee's in the regular spot. Go get some, get human, Tsunade is holding an announcement to the village at noon. Welcome back to life Haruno." Ibiki delivered the news with a smirk on his face. _Asshole. _

Flipping Ibiki off I stood up and wandered over to the small table in the corner. A well used coffee pot sat on its scarred surface, and I smiled at the brand new hazelnut creamer. Ibiki took his coffee black, Shika dumped a mound of sugar in his, and as far as I knew I was the only person allowed to use this coffee pot that liked hazelnut. Making a cup of coffee I settled in a chair facing Ibiki's desk.

"Thanks Iki," I saluted him with my cup.

"Take a shower, and get dressed."

Taking my coffee with me, and the bag of clothes that came flying at my head I stepped into the tiny bathroom off Ibiki's office. I guess being on top has its perks…

Half an hour later I stood in front of the mirror and sighed.

Pink hair pulled up into a high ponytail then braided, bangs framing my face like always. A mesh t-shirt under a bright red halter top that ended just below my breasts. Black standard issue pants were tucked into my ANBU boots. Aside from said boots I had never seen anything else. But the perfume lingering on the clothes was all Ino. I could just picture the look of glee on her face at getting to dress me up.

I stepped back into Ibiki's office and blinked at the crowd that had gathered. Kakashi was leaning against the wall, eye crinkled and book in hand. Shika was sprawled on the cot in the corner but one eye opened and sparkled at me. Sasuke and Naruto were standing next to each other, and stepped up in unison to face me.

Sasuke handed me a pair of fingerless black battle gloves with a smirk. I recognized them as the ones he had been wearing in Grass. Naruto stepped forward even further and reached up to the Konoha headband he wore.

"If you're really back you will need one of these," with a sunshine bright smile the blonde tugged the headband loose and with gentle hands tied it around my own head.

I slid Sasuke's gloves on, and readjusted Naruto's headband.

"Lets do this thing."

(Tsunade)

Every one of her active duty shinobi that were in the village looked up at the fifth. Nearly all of the clan heads, with many of their members flocked behind them were in the crowd. Civilians of all walks of life stood side by side with the shinobi. The only thing the crowd had in common was a mild confusion.

"It is not often that a Hokage gets to give this speech. Today I'm telling you a story of sacrifice. And of redemption. The details at this time remain classified, but I can tell you this. A shinobi from a civilian family, someone who understood both sides of our village. A medic, and a warrior. Three years ago Haruno Sakura was killed in an ambush. I stood before you then, mourning as you mourned. I stand before you now, to tell you I was mistaken. After a lengthy classified mission, Haruno Sakura returns!"

There was a brief pause of baffled silence, then I stepped up next to my shishou. Sunlight caught my pink hair and the cheers erupted.

**A/N: Hello again everyone. Once again I'd like to thank you all for your support. Those of you that have been here a while, and the new alerts I'm seeing popping up. Now a bit about the chapter. At the end here I have the village celebrating her return for a couple of reasons. One because a medic as good as Sakura would be much loved. She's saved a shit load of lives. And secondly, after the war and all that loss of life, having one of their people come back to life would be reason to celebrate no matter if they gave a fuck about Sakura as a person or not. Anywho, let me know what you thought! I'll try not to drag my feet so much on the next chapter. **


	12. Chapter 12

Somehow coming back from the dead entailed much more paperwork than I had imagined. Honestly. So I spent the first two hours of my rebirth in the Hokage's office working through a mountain of paper, coming back to life.

"That's all I need you to do today," Tsunade snatched the form from my hands. I blinked at the Hokage then shrugged.

"Any chance there's an apartment available in my old building?" The fifth cleared her throat, and shuffled some papers around. I raised an eyebrow.

"Actually your old apartment and all of your stuff is still right where you left it. I assigned genin teams to clean it once a week." I couldn't help grinning at the shamefaced hokage in front of me.

"Thanks shishou." The paperweight flying at my head wasn't a surprise.

After my dismissal by projectile, I wandered out into the village. It was a mixed reception. Sure there was joy, and welcoming calls. But there was also a dark shadow. I could understand. Why was I the one that returned to life? Why was I so lucky? Why did my loved ones get so lucky?

I understood but it still stung slightly.

Fully intending to sneak into my apartment and hide for as long as possible, my reaction to an arm being thrown around my shoulders was slightly less than civil.

I stared down at a very disgruntled looking Kiba in mild surprise.

"What he was trying to achieve sneaking up on a highly skilled ANBU operative just returned from the field, I cannot say." And there was Shino.

A quick flare of familiar chakra to my right ensured that Hinata got a hug in return, as opposed to being bodily thrown into the dirt.

"Haruno Sakura, you absolute bitch. I can't believe you did that to us."

"I see your swearing problem hasn't cleared up yet Hina-chan."

Hinata opened her mouth to retort when an almighty yell shook the very foundations of the village.

"FOREHEAD!"

Ah. Ino. Awkward. I wrapped an arm around Hinata's waist, picked Kiba up under my arm after petting Akamaru.

"Might as well go get a drink before she hunts us down."

Ten minutes later the double doors to the bar were thrown open violently. Standing there was a blonde haired blue eyed demon, not the Naruto kind.

"Haruno Sakura." Ino strode into the bar much like she owned the place. Kiba slouched lower in his seat, but trusty Hinata just stayed by my side.

"Ino-pig." I had to suppress a she was mad, but she was my best friend.

"You bitch," I stood up just in time to catch Ino in a bone crushing hug.

The rest of the people in the bar shifted around slightly, probably wondering if there was a fight about to break out. Instead…

"It's not every day my best friend comes back from the dead! What are you waiting for? Bring us some shots!"

Ah yes, good old Ino.

By the time five o'clock rolled around we were all well on our way to utter oblivion. Ino had caught me up on the important gossip. Or so she claimed. Her main points as follows.

Hinata and Kiba were official

Ten Ten and Lee same.

She and Shikamaru had a two year old son named Asuma who was the most terrifying combination of his parents imaginable.

The whole village was losing its fucking mind over team seven, once again.

"Pig, I don't think that this particular round of team seven drama really out shines anything else happening."

"Well, Forehead girl, apart from the jounin, ANBU, and a few other select individuals, no one knows that the treaty is as shaky as Choji on a diet."

I sighed at Ino's comparison, but she was right. That had been part of the point of my mission, to keep the general public from going into a panic. Maybe team seven drama would help hide the upcoming conflict from the public eye for a while.

It was a couple more hours before a grouchy Shikamaru appeared to take his very drunk wife home. The noise of their departure made a perfect cover for me to slip out the back door. The way to my apartment was equal parts familiar and strange. Shops had closed or opened, people had moved out and strangers were my neighbors.

Dispelling the traps around my door however, was vividly familiar, they were toned down versions of what I had set up on the tree I lived in while I was in Grass.

The apartment was just how I remembered it. Small. The kitchen and living room combining into the large main area. Two doors lead off the main room, one to my room, the other to a miniscule bathroom. A sliding glass door that opened onto a porch that was, surprise, small.

Just as empty as I had remembered too. There's something infinitely more depressing about being alone in a city as opposed to alone in the wild. And the lights and sounds of Konoha at night coming through the windows into my dark apartment, wasn't comforting like it used to be. It was just another reminder of how alone I really was. The Konoha whatever number they called themselves these days could preach friendship all they wanted, but words are empty when a cold and dark room is the welcome I received.

The next day I was up before the sun. A mask wearing Genma had flipped a message at my window. It took some serious deep breathing exercises not to turn this particular block of Konoha into ash when the scroll hit the glass.

The message was simple. Meet the Hokage and team seven at another one of the old ANBU training grounds. It took me thirty minutes to decide that yes, the period at the end of the message was in fact a tiny little bell.

Another bell test. Yippee. Although I doubted it would be the three ex students vs the teacher. I'd place my bet that it would be me and Kakashi, against the two boys.

So I took the time to get ready like I hadn't had the chance to do since before leaving Konoha. Spandex shorts and red chest bindings went first. Then the skin tight black ANBU suit. I wasn't technically authorized to wear the white armor in the village without my mask, but a long time ago I had a black set created. I was much more comfortable in the armor anyway.

Black armor and black boots, hair pulled up high and braided. I smiled as I pulled Sasuke's gloves on, but hesitated at the forehead protector. For so many years I had worn it in my hair, it wasn't until I became the fox that I had worn it actually on my forehead. But that didn't seem quite right either. Instead I wrapped it tightly around my left thigh opposite the kunai pouch on my right. It had worked when I was pretending to be Sakiko, it would work now.

The sun was just touching the Hokage monument when I landed on Kakashi's window sill. Like me he was already fully dressed. The whole way here I had fought with myself, wondering if what I had told him and the boys the other day about my ANBU career would change how they saw me. But as Kakashi eye crinkled at me and opened the window I realized a few things. Of course they wouldn't see me as the same person. Too much had happened for anything else to be true. But that didn't mean that they would treat me like I was dangerous, or even worse broken.

Kakashi handed me a cup of coffee, just as a small wet nose touched my ankle.

"Hi Pak," I leaned down and scratched the little pug behind the ears.

"Looking a bit better there girlie, you should sleep more." Pakkuns dark eyes stared at me reproachfully. I poked him in the snout gently for his nosiness.

"Did you come over just to pet my dog?" Kakashi sat down at the table and immediately sprawled out.

"No, it's just an added benefit. I came here to discuss how many pieces we were going to kick the boys asses into today." I shot a wild grin at Kakashi as I sat down across from him. Pakkun jumped up into my lap and put his front paws on the table.

Years of experience let me read the slow, slightly evil smile that spread across his face under the mask.

"I was thinking at least twelve."

"Hai, sensei," I smirked at the way Kakashi's shoulders twitched at the title.

The banter ended there and we began to work out a plan.

(Sasuke)

He and the idiot had been up for hours, they had spoken to the hokage the night before and been given a heads up about today's bell test. The old Naruto and Sasuke would have likely spent the night planning on how to out do each other. The new set was a bit more weary.

Going up against your teammate and teacher is never fun. When both are highly trained ANBU operatives with years of experience, and a healthy understanding of each other the friendly match gets decidedly unfriendly.

So in the spirit of fostering teamwork between himself and Naruto, Sasuke had proposed a camp out at the training grounds where the test was set to take place. Logically they knew that Kakashi and Sakura were both familiar with the area, it would help to level the odds in any way possible.

At least that's what Sasuke was reminding himself when Naruto kicked him in the head on his way to take his morning piss. A minor scuffle erupted at breakfast, as per usual. But after the two had eaten, and the very beginnings of dawn were kissing the horizon they sat down to deliberate.

"Which one is the biggest threat?", even as the words left Sasukes mouth he marvelled at the fact that between Sakura and Kakashi he didn't know which one was more likely to kill him today. It was all very strange.

Naruto dropped his gaze to his hands, twirling a pencil in his fingers. It was his newest thinking habit, and Sasuke had to blame a certain old pervert for that particular tick.

"Kakashi we know better, skill wise, but we can't assume that he spent the years while we were gone at a plateau. He wouldn't be Kakashi if he wasn't better now. Sakura's the wild card. She's the one that's going to surprise us the most, and the surprise is likely to do more damage than her actual attack sometimes." Naruto sighed and pushed his hair back from his forehead.

"At the same time, we know what Sakura is good at, which in three key points is chakra control, genjutsu, and intelligence. That was already a deadly combination, but we don't know what she learned after we left, or who taught it to her. Which parts of her are the same and which parts are different?" Another deep sigh, Sasuke raised his eyebrow at the amount of wind his best friend pushed out.

Even sitting still, breaking down Sakura like they would any other enemy put visible tension into Naruto's spine. Sasuke knew how Naruto felt about Sakura when they were out of the village, but the tiny part of Sasuke that was still bitter and broken had to wonder if Naruto loved her less because of the person Sakura had become.

"So what you're saying dobe, is that they're both going to do their best to kill us, and that they stand a decent chance?" Sasuke smirked at the spark of fire that lit in the blue eyes next to him.

"Hell no! We didn't spend years training to come back and get our asses kicked by an old man and a pink haired girl, believe it!"

The echoes of Naruto's shout were still bouncing off the trees when between one second and the next, two dark clad figures ghosted out of the dawn shadows.

(Sakura)

I felt my eyebrows disappearing in my hair line.

_Old man and pink haired girl…. poor poor word choice cutie._

Ignoring inner and her sudden focus on Naruto, I glanced at Kakashi.

There was a slight pinch between his eyebrows and a kunai had found its way to his hand.

Familiar chakra signatures from my time in ANBU settled in around the edges of the training area, and between one breath and the next a barrier rose up into the sky.

"It muffles sound, and works like a one way mirror. It'll also stop jutsu from getting away from us. The village won't even know what's happening here," I cheerfully informed the two boys. Naruto and Sasuke had both come to their feet in ready stances.

"You wanna do the honors Kashi?" I muttered.

"Begin," came the command, and team seven broke loose.

**A/N: *scratches the back of my head* Hi there everyone. First of all I am sooooo sorry this update took forever and a day. In between changing jobs, apartment hunting, assorted illness, and general lack of motivation my writing got delegated to the furthest burner back possible. That being said, the fact that this story still got favorites and follows and reviews when it sat so long without an update surprised me. So thank you. The next chapter will be up faster I hope. It will be the bell test and some team seven progress. Other members of the Konoha 8675309 will be popping in as well. Special shoutout to Wolfy-chan whose awesome reviews inspired this update, and one in the works for Dance for me Darling. You're the best. **


	13. Chapter 13

(Naruto p.o.v.)

"The first ninja art… Taijutsu," Kakashi eye smiled. Then everyone moved. Immediately Naruto flooded the field with tens of clones. The strategy that Sasuke and he had come up with the night before had been simple. Feel out the opponents with clones, then make a decision. The information Naruto got back from his clones was upsetting.

Sakura still had her monster strength, and had used it to kick a clone in the chest hard enough it hit four more clones and dissipate them all. That was to be expected, what he wasn't expecting was the next clones death. Sakura had tapped its forehead in a glancing blow, not even hard enough to pop the clone, what killed it was everything in the clones skull liquifying on contact.

Kakashi was ripping through clones at a rapid pace. The mask wearing man had gotten faster, and more savage in his strikes. Clones were decapitated, eviscerated, and lightning charged fingers through the eye socket.

Sasuke was darting in among the clones, sharingan spinning wildly, watching their opponents and cataloging the information.

"Second art," Sakura's voice chirped merrily over the melee, "ninjutsu."

"Move dobe!"

Naruto followed Sasuke into the tree's right as Sakura slammed both palms into the ground. Water erupted all over the training grounds, leaving a small dry spot around Sakura and Kakashi's feet. The same second water lapped at the remaining clones ankles, Kakashi hit the water with a weak lighting jutsu. The combination ripped through the clones and Naruto cringed as the memories of being electrified to death hit him over twenty times.

"Now Sasuke!"

A combined wind and fire attack roared down at Sakura and Kakashi. The standing water on the training grounds flew up into a makeshift barrier, and as the fire slammed into it, mist clouded the battlefield.

A second wind jutsu from Naruto cleared the battlefield. To his horror Kakashi and Sakura were both slumped on the ground, charred limbs still slightly smoking. Sasuke's hand slammed on his shoulder and disrupted the illusion just as Sakura ripped the tree they were standing on into tiny splinters.

"Genjutsu, but which one?" Naruto and Sasuke took off into the forest.

"Could be either," Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. Naruto glanced over at his dark haired teammate, and somehow totally misjudged the next tree branch and smacked into it with his knees instead of landing on the branch as he had planned.

"Goddamn illusions," the blonde snarled, correcting his course by bounding off a tree trunk.

"No need to be rude Naruto-kun," Kakashi chided.

(Sakura p.o.v.)

As usual, Naruto was easy prey for genjutsu. If we could get them separated I could drop him easily without Sasuke interfering. Kakashi knew this and was cheerfully peppering the Uchiha with kunai and exploding tags. Taking the small amount of space the silver haired man provided I jumped into play.

A small genjutsu to make it seem I was punching at Naruto's head, I started layering illusions. The one I had in mind would show Naruto a series of flashbacks to all the times he, and Sasuke had left me behind. The time in the land of waves when the boys had kept training and I had to watch the old man. The whole chuunin exam shit storm. Naruto training with Jiraiya and Sasuke with Kakashi while I was left alone in the village. Naruto finding Tsunade.

Blue eyes clouded over, and his mouth fell slack. Then came images of the war. Their leaving. Snippets of my time in ANBU, and an overview of all the time I spent alone after I "died".

Right as the memory reel faded I delivered a spinning kick to the side of his face. I didn't have time to indulge Inner's desire to watch the hurt on his face.

Because Kakashi and Sasuke crashed into the scene in a whirl of Sharingan and blades.

I slid into the fight next to Kakashi with practiced ease. Two on one isn't generally the best odds for a ninja, and soon Sasuke was sporting a cut down his cheek. Kakashi had a few minor slices over his body and smelled like over cooked barbeque.

Naruto reappeared back into the fight with a vengenace. Apparently my mind games had pissed him off.

_Good._

(Ibiki)

Ibiki stood on the fence that surrounded the training grounds and listened to the sounds of team seven do major damage to the terrain. He wasn't the only one taking an interest. Genma was lurking in the shade of a nearby tree. Anko was sitting up in said tree, dropping dango sticks into Genma's hair. Gai was standing with his face pressed into the fence links with eyes of fire muttering wildly about youth.

Team seven had captured the villages interest since the day it was formed. But now. Now it was a different member that was drawing all of the attention. A pink haired menace on the battlefield, currently matching swords with the last Uchiha. On top of that, the Kyuubi container was trading blows with the last of the fourth Hokage's students. It was quite a clash of reputations. Ibiki smiled to himself as his little pink haired apprentice took a brutal uppercut to the chin, and used the momentum to tag the jinchuuriki with the retractable blade hidden in the toes of her boots.

If they could work through some of their problems and learn how to stand side by side again, maybe, just maybe, they'd have a chance on stopping a war from breaking out once more.

(Sakura)

Hours passed. It had been quite a while since I had gone up against anyone that really tested me. And if nothing else, Naruto and Sasuke were definitely testing me. Kakashi too if the way he was babying his left side was any indication.

We were all back in the clearing where the battle had started. The water had since dried and only left small shadows in the dirt. My side ached courtesy of a narrowly dodged rasengan. Tips of my hair was singed, and numerous cuts and bruises littered my skin. The two boys weren't much better. Periodic blasts of chakra left Naruto in a continuous effort to dispel a genjutsu that wasn't even there. Sasuke's eyes were black again, constant sharingan and the sheer amount of ninjutsu he had used to keep us off of his back had drained him considerably.

The end to our fight was announced when the fifth hokage slammed into the ground in front of us. Four kunai winged out at her reflexively. Honestly dropping in between four ninja that had been fighting furiously for the past four hours wasn't the best move.

"Enough of this. Shizune and I will do first aid. Then we will meet in my office tomorrow at eleven. Don't be late."

After a supremely tense healing session it was just team seven left in the field. Ignoring the faint calls of youth, and the other receding chakra signatures I stared at the other three people in the area. Kakashi had a book out and was smirking under his mask. The other two were sitting side by side side eyeing us suspiciously.

"I'll buy the ramen," a small peace offering I was willing to give. Naruto had suffered enough at the hands of my illusions, and Sasuke had experienced a rather savage genjutsu from Kakashi when he had shut off his sharingan to save chakra.

Inners need for revenge had been quieted slightly.

"How much ramen?" Naruto, never one to hold a grudge for long, perked up slightly. Sasuke just looked disgruntled.

"Literally all of it. I'm starving. We'll call it a draw." I smiled slightly. Without Naruto going full fox, and Sasuke having the goddamn human decency to keep Susano'o out of the picture, and Kakashi not ripping fucking pieces of reality into other dimensions, it was all pretty even. I hadn't pulled out my dirtiest tricks either.

I grabbed Kakashi around the waist as he tried to slink off.

"Nope. Everyone is going. You too grumpy gills." Sasuke's hair literally poofed with indignation.

Naruto smiled. And once again, it was like seeing the sun after months of rain.

"RAMEN!"

(At Ichiraku)

Naruto was into the double digits as far as bowls of ramen go. Sasuke was still nursing the smallest bowl I had ever seen in my life. Kakashi had constructed a frankly impressive great menu wall and doing a magnificent job of pretending to be anywhere else.

"Tsunade-sama will go over the details tomorrow, but just expect that we won't be spending many nights in the village." Naruto paused in his slurping of noodles to look at me.

"Sakura-chan why do you say that?"

"Because," I narrowed my eyes at my food, "there's a snake in the grass that needs killing."

**A/N: So its shorter than usual. It was so hard to come back to this story and pick up what I was trying to do. I still promise its not being abandoned. And I'll be trying to update more often. But I'm still crap at posting schedules, and currently have one day off a week. -_-" Anyways, let me know what you think. I do read all of the reviews, and while it sometimes takes great self control to not start a goddamn war with some of you, I do like hearing (reading) your thoughts. **


End file.
